WILLIAM    HOWARD   TAFT, 
President  of  the  United  States. 


THE 
CELEBRATION  OF  THE 

Two  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary 

OF  THE 

Settlement  of  the  Town  of  Norwich 

CONNECTICUT 

AND  OF  THE 

INCORPORATION  OF  THE  CITY 
The  One  Hundred  and  TwentyFifth 

July  4,  5,  6,  1909 


BY  WILLIAM  C.  OILMAN 


NORWICH,  1912 


CONTENTS 


Foreword,          ........  5 

Officers  and  Executive  Committee,   ....  7 

Introduction,  Part  I,  .  .          .          .          -9 

Introduction,  Part  II,  Norwich,  1859  to  1909       .          .  20 

The  Quarter  Millennial  Celebration,  ....  53 

First  Day.    Services  at  Up-town  Burying  Ground,       .  66 

Second  Day.  Reception  of  President  Taft,  ...  80 

Historical  Pageant,   .......  80 

The  Procession,          .         .         .         .         .         .         .82 

President  Taft's  Address  on  Chelsea  Parade,        .          .  82 

Third  Day.     Presentation  of  Memorial  Fountain,         .  87 

Literary  Exercises  at  Broadway  Theater,    ...  97 

Financial  Statement,           ......  143 


Appendix.     Official  Program,    .....      145 

Military  and  Civic  Parade,          .          .          .          .          .152 

Loan  Exhibit  at  Converse  Art  Gallery,        .          .          .     169 
Sermons,  ........     178 

Letters  from  Absentees,   ......     198 

Notes  on  Persons  and  Places,  .....     204 


2012159 


FRANK  B.  WEEKS, 
Governor  of  the  State  of  Connecticut. 


FOREWORD 

Several  public-spirited  citizens  of  Norwich,  who  felt 
that  an  event  so  important  and  interesting  as  the  celebra- 
tion in  1909,  of  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  the  settlement  of  the  town  ought  to  be  commemorated 
in  a  permanent  form,  invited  me  in  the  autumn  of  1911  to 
undertake  the  work  which  I  have  now  accomplished  purely 
as  a  labor  of  love. 

This  endeavor  to  show  what  Norwich  celebrated,  why 
it  celebrated  and  how  it  celebrated,  and  to  set  forth  its 
prosperity  in  each  decade  of  its  long  history  justifies  a 
large  measure  of  pride  in  the  Town  as  it  is  to-day,  and  of 
confidence  that  the  coming  generation,  inspired  by  the 
example  of  those  who  are  now  building  on  the  foundation 
laid  by  their  forefathers,  will  continue  the  good  work  in 
anticipation  of  a  still  more  illustrious  future. 

W.  C.  G. 
Norwich  Town,  December  20,  1911. 


ARTHUR  D.  LATHROP, 
First  Selectman — Town  of  Norwich. 


COSTELLO    LiPPITT, 

Mayor  of  the  City  of  Norwich. 


Norwich   Quarter   Millennial    Celebration 


OFFICERS  AND   EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

President : 
Winslow  Tracy  Williams. 

Vice-Presidents : 

Edwin  A.  Tracy,  Jeremiah  J.  Desmond, 

John  Eccles,  John  McWilliams, 

Gen.  William  A.  Aiken. 

Treasurer : 
Col.  Charles  W.  Gale. 

Secretary : 
Gilbert  S.  Raymond. 

Assistant  Secretary: 
Grosvenor  Ely. 

Executive  Committee: 

Edwin  A.  Tracy,  Chairman, 

Dr.  P.  H.  Harriman,  Arthur  D.  Lathrop, 

John  Porteous,  Albert  L.  Potter, 

William  B.  Young,  Henry  A.  Tirrell, 

James  B.  Shannon,  Charles  D.  Noyes, 

Timothy  C.  Murphy,  Howard  L.  Stanton, 
Albert  S.  Comstock. 


WINSLOW  TRACY  WILLIAMS, 

President  of  the  General   Committee. 

Vice-Chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee. 


EDWIN  AVERY  TRACY, 

Chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee. 

First  Vice-President  of  the  General  Committee. 


GENERAL  WILLIAM  A.  AIKEN. 


J.  J.  DESMOND.  GILBERT  S.  RAYMOND. 

Members  of  the  Executive  Committee. 


COL.  CHARLES  W.  GALE. 


P.  H.  HARRIMAN,  M.  D. 


JOHN   PORTEOUS.  ALBERT  L.  POTTER. 

Members  of  the  Executive  Committee. 


WILLIAM  B.  YOUNG. 


HENRY  A.  TIRRELL 


JAMES  B.  SHANNON.  CHARLES  D.  NOYES. 

Members  of  the  Executive  Committee. 


TIMOTHY  C.  MURPHY. 


HOWARD  L.  STANTON. 


ALBERT  S.  COMSTOCK.  GROSVENOR  ELY. 

Members  of  the  Executive  Committee. 


The   Quarter  Millennial  Celebration  of  the 
Settlement  of  Norwich. 

July  4,  5  and  6,  1909. 

INTRODUCTION.    PART  I. 

The  History  of  Norwich  for  the  two  hundred  years 
following  the  foundation  under  the  rocks  on  the  up-town 
green  in  1659  has  been  fully  set  forth  by  Frances  Manwar- 
ing  Caulkins,  whose  history,  says  a  discriminating  writer, 
"is  one  of  the  fullest  and  best  of  those  volumes  of  local 
lore  that  afflict  American  historical  writers  with  an  excess 
of  authentic  material."  The  fruits  of  her  researches  are 
household  words,  and  by  them  she  will  be  held  in  ever- 
lasting remembrance. 

"The  Old  Houses  of  the  Antient  Town  of  Norwich" 
by  Mary  E.  Perkins,  published  in  1895,  gives  an  account 
of  all  the  buildings  on  the  main  roads  from  Mill  Lane 
(Lafayette  street)  to  the  meeting  house  on  the  up-town 
green,  and  of  their  owners  and  occupants  from  the  settle- 
ment to  the  year  1800,  and  contains,  in  addition  to  one 
hundred  and  thirty-two  illustrations,  maps,  and  portraits, 
invaluable  historic  and  genealogic  records,  the  result  of 
her  indefatigable  and  exhaustive  investigations. 

These  two  works  and  the  historical  discourses  at  the 
Bi-centennial  celebration  in  1859,  by  Daniel  Coit  Oilman, 
John  Arnold  Rockwell,  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Alfred 
Lee,  and  Donald  Grant  Mitchell — all  of  them  sons  of 
Norwich — published  in  John  W.  Stedman's  "Report  of  the 
Celebration,"  together  with  numerous  magazine  articles  and 
the  transactions  of  historical  societies,  have  completed  the 
town  history  for  two  hundred  years  so  far  as  it  can  be 
completed,  unless,  indeed,  unsuspected  treasures  that  have 
hitherto  escaped  the  closest  scrutiny  shall  be  discovered 
in  family  archives  or  public  records. 


IO  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

It  would  be  an  interesting  task  to  re-write  the  history 
of  the  town  in  the  light  of  all  these  publications,  to  combine 
them,  as  it  were,  in  one  composite  picture,  but  to  do  this, 
adequately,  would  be  to  exceed  by  far  the  limits  of  this 
volume.  It  is  well,  moreover,  to  give  heed  to  the  words 
of  Judge  Nathaniel  Shipman,  an  honored  son  of  honorable 
Norwich  ancestors:  "No  living  man  can  do  justice  to  the 
town  of  Norwich:  Few  living  men  will  ever  undertake 
it,  and  if  they  do  they  will  be  apt  to  fail — and  it  is  inex- 
pedient for  us  to  attempt  to  do  anything  more  than  simply 
to  say  we  loved  the  town  when  we  were  boys,  we  love 
it  now  when  we  are  men,  and  we  want  to  say  so." 

The  history  of  the  town  for  the  last  half  century, 
however,  has  not  been  written,  nor  can  it  be  written  in 
just  proportion  until  time  shall  have  given  atmosphere  and 
perspective  to  events  that  seemed  to  the  men  and  women 
engaged  in  them  of  supreme  importance,  but  have  faded 
from  memory  like  a  dream. 

At  an  early  period  the  original  "nine  miles  square," 
by  reason  of  its  topographical  formation,  naturally  became 
a  group  of  small  districts,  Norwich,  Franklin,  Bozrah, 
Lisbon,  and  Preston.  After  these  had  been  set  off  as 
separate  towns,  in  1786,  the  parent  settlement,  retaining 
the  name  Norwich,  gradually  became,  as  it  continues  to 
be,  a  cluster  of  semi-detached  villages  radiating  from  the 
Landing  as  a  common  center,  and  including  "the  pleasant 
plains  of  Chelsea  half  a  mile  from  the  Norwich  port,"  the 
Falls,  Up-town,  Bean  Hill,  Yantic,  West-side,  Thames- 
ville,  Laurel  Hill,  East  Norwich,  Greeneville,  Taftville, 
and  Occum.  These  are  surrounded  by  hills,  Plain  Hill, 
Ox  Hill,  Wawecus  Hill,  and  others,  occupied  for  the  most 
part  as  farms  and  woodlands.  These  villages  have  some- 
times been  fancifully  regarded  as  the  petals  of  the  Rose  of 
New  England.  The  authorship  of  this  felicitous  appella- 
tion has  been  ascribed  to  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  but  it 
does  not  appear  in  his  published  writings,  not  even  in  his 
famous  Norwich  "Star  Paper,"  which,  after  sixty  years, 


THE  ROSE  OF  NEW  ENGLAND.  1 1 

is  still  as  perfect  a  pen  picture  of  the  old  town  as  if  he 
had  written  it  in  1909. 

This  tradition  as  to  the  name,  received  by  Jonathan 
Trumbull  from  Edward  T.  Clapp,  remains  undisputed, 
and  may  be  accepted  as  veritable  history.  When  the 
Committee  on  Decorations  for  the  Bi-centennial  cele- 
bration in  1859  was  considering  an  appropriate  desig- 
nation for  the  town,  the  chairman,  James  Lloyd  Greene, 
said,  "Well,  she  is  a  rose,  anyway !"  "Yes,"  responded  Mr. 
Clapp,  "Norwich  is  the  rose  of  New  England."  The 
suggestion  was  accepted,  and  on  an  arch  under  which  the 
procession  marched,  on  Broadway  near  Broad  street,  were 
inscribed  the  memorable  words,  "Norwich,  the  Rose  of 
Xew  England."  "That  which  we  call  a  rose  by  any  other 
name  would  smell  as  sweet,"  and  whether  Norwich  be  called 
Dorothy  Perkins,  or  Killarney,  or  General  Jacqueminot,  it 
will  still  be  the  American  Beauty,  the  Rose  of  New  England. 

Comparatively  few  are  living  to-day  who  remember 
the  celebration  of  1859.  Of  the  prominent  men  who  served 
actively  on  the  various  committees  scarcely  a  score  remain. 
All  the  settled  pastors  of  Norwich,  all  the  leading 
physicians,  most  of  the  prominent  lawyers,  the  special 
orators  of  the  day,  the  after-dinner  speakers,  have  departed, 
and,  most  distinguished  of  all,  Governor  William  A. 
Buckingham,  whose  grace  and  dignity  as  the  presiding 
officer  were  undisturbed  by  forebodings  of  the  impending 
national  conflict — not  two  years  in  the  future — in  which 
his  patriotic  services  were  to  gain  for  him  lasting  renown 
as  Connecticut's  great  War  Governor. 

A  new  generation  has  come  upon  the  stage,  new  faces 
are  seen  in  the  windows  and  in  the  streets,  new  preachers 
are  in  the  pulpits,  new  lawyers  at  the  bar,  new  doctors  at 
the  bedside,  and  names  once  familiar  on  sign  boards  in 
the  business  districts  have  been  replaced  in  large  measure 
by  those  of  new  comers  from  foreign  lands. 

When  Rip  Van  Winkle,  awaking  from  his  long  sleep 
in  the  mountains,  stretched  his  rheumatic  limbs,  and,  calling 
in  vain  for  his  dog  Schneider,  made  his  solitary  way  to  his 


12  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

old  home,  he  was  dumbfounded  to  find  the  lazy  little  hamlet 
of  Falling  Water  grown  to  be  the  thriving,  bustling  village 
of  Catskill.  New  times  had  come,  new  faces,  new  manners 
and  customs.  The  friends  of  his  youth  had  gone,  and  the 
boys  and  girls  had  grown  up  past  recognition.  The 
Revolutionary  war  had  been  fought  and  ended.  The 
successors  of  those  who  in  the  good  old  colony  times 
had  lived  under  King  George  the  third  were  casting  their 
ballots  for  President  George  Washington.  The  successive 
changes  of  twenty  years  seemed  to  him  the  miraculous 
transformations  of  a  single  night. 

If  any  survivor  of  the  Norwich  Bi-centennial  could 
in  a  moment  roll  back  the  wheels  of  time  for  half  a  century, 
and,  reversing  the  moving  picture,  could  see  Norwich  as 
it  was  in  1859,  his  amazement  would  be  as  great  as  was 
Rip  Van  Winkle's.  The  same  skies,  the  same  rocks  and 
hills,  the  same  rivers  and  meadows,  all  that  was  created 
by  God,  would  stand  forth  in  perennial  beauty,  but  the 
work  of  man  would  appear  strangely  quaint  and  crude ;  "the 
old  houses  of  the  antient  town"  would  seem  asleep,  and  the 
daily  life  of  the  good  people,  their  habits  and  customs,  dull 
and  old  fashioned.  He  would  look  in  vain  for  the  comforts 
and  conveniences  of  modern  civilization,  and  would  realize 
that  the  golden  days  were  not  in  the  past  but  in  the  present 
and  the  future,  and  that,  on  the  firm  foundation  laid  by  the 
fathers  a  new  Norwich  had  arisen,  surpassing  all  that  was 
dreamed  of  in  their  philosophy. 

With  no  purpose  of  writing  a  history  of  the  town  and 
still  less  of  the  nation  for  the  last  fifty  years,  it  may  not  be 
inappropriate  to  review  briefly  some  of  the  momentous 
events  of  the  period  that  have  deeply  concerned  the  nation 
and  therefore  the  town,  as  well. 

Of  these  events,  foremost  in  time  and  importance  was 
the  war  for  the  Union,  beginning  with  the  attack  on  Fort 
Sumter  in  April,  1861,  and  ending  with  the  surrender  at 
Appomattox  in  April,  1864.  To  every  household  in  the 
land,  north  and  south,  the  war  brought  deep  sorrow  for 
the  loss  of  kindred  and  friends,  and,  to  many,  peculiar 


NORWICH  IN  WAR  FOR  THE  UNION.  13 

hardship  and  even  destitution,  but  it  determined  forever 
that  no  state  may  of  its  own  volition  secede  from  the  Union ; 
it  abolished  slavery,  and  guaranteed  that  the  right  of  no 
citizen  of  the  United  States  to  vote  shall  be  abridged  on 
account  of  race,  color  or  previous  condition  of  servitude. 
In  the  prolonged  conflict  Norwich  did  her  full  share  of  loyal, 
patriotic  service.  Her  citizens  poured  out  money  for  the 
cause  like  water;  her  sons  eagerly  volunteered  for  active 
service;  mothers,  sisters,  wives,  like  ministering  angels 
of  mercy,  co-operating  with  the  constituted  authorities,  were 
unceasing  in  their  efforts  to  relieve  suffering  on  the  field 
and  in  hospitals,  and  as  far  as  possible  to  mitigate  the 
horrors  of  war. 

Norwich  has  not  forgotten  those  valiant  women,  nor 
has  she  forgotten  her  sons  who  laid  down  their  lives  for 
their  country,  nor  the  scarred  veterans  of  the  war  who  still 
survive.  The  flowers  and  flags  that  mark  the  graves  of 
the  departed  heroes,  year  after  year  on  Memorial  Day, 
tell  a  sad  yet  inspiring  story  to  many  hearts. 

On  Chelsea  Parade  in  1873  a  monument  was  "erected 
by  the  town  of  Norwich  in  memory  of  her  brave  sons  who 
voluntarily  entered  the  military  service  of  the  United  States 
in  defence  of  the  national  government  during  the  rebellion." 
At  a  later  day  (1902),  a  granite  monument  was  placed  on 
the  Little  Plain  in  honor  of  the  26th  Regiment  of  Connecti- 
cut Volunteers,  which  numbered  825  men,  of  whom  52  were 
killed,  142  wounded,  and  84  died  in  the  service. 

In  1903  Hannah  Lathrop  Ripley  narrated  her  personal 
reminiscences  of  the  war  in  an  address  before  the  alumni 
association  of  the  Norwich  Free  Academy  in  behalf  of 
a  fund  for  a  bronze  tablet,  placed  within  the  building, 
bearing  the  names  of  Academy  boys  who  were  engaged  in 
the  conflict. 

In  March,  1898,  Sedgwick  Post,  No.  I,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  acquired  the  commodious  house  and  land 
on  Main  Street  that  had  been  for  many  years  the  residence 
of  Governor  William  A.  Buckingham.  The  purchase  money 
was  supplied  by  the  Post  with  the  aid  of  patriotic  citizens. 


14  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  four  presidents  of  the  United 
States  have  been  received  under  its  hospitable  roof.  The 
Buckingham  Memorial  is  more  than  a  monument  to  the 
officers  and  soldiers  of  Sedgwick  Post.  It  worthily  com- 
memorates one  who  as  merchant,  manufacturer,  philan- 
thropist, benefactor  of  Yale  University,  the  Broadway 
Church  and  the  Norwich  Free  Academy,  as  Mayor  of 
Norwich,  twice  elected,  as  presidential  elector  in  1856,  as 
Governor  from  1858  to  1866,  and  as  United  States  Senator 
from  1869  to  1875  was  illustrious  as  the  most  distinguished 
citizen  of  the  town  of  Norwich. 

The  story  of  "Norwich  in  connection  with  the  war  for 
the  Union,"  and  the  "Necrology  of  the  War  in  relation  to 
Norwich"  are  recorded  so  fully  in  Miss  Caulkins's  History, 
edition  of  1874,  and  in  the  Rev.  Malcolm  McG.  Dana's 
"Norwich  in  the  Rebellion,"  published  in  1872,  that  repeti- 
tion here  is  unnecessary.  Mr.  Dana's  work  is  a  worthy 
tribute  to  the  brave  men  who  went  forth  to  defend  their 
imperilled  country,  and  records  with  painstaking  accuracy 
their  names,  their  sufferings,  achievements,  and  triumphant 
valor. 

Borrowing  again,  in  substance,  the  language  of  Judge 
Shipman,  it  may  be  added  that  "the  characteristics  which 
most  prominently  mark  the  town  of  Norwich  are  earnest, 
impulsive,  quickly  responsive  and  fervent  patriotism, 
restrained  by  devotion  to  truth  and  by  a  sense  of  the 
supremacy  of  justice  ....  And  so  it  has  gone  on:  in 
every  field  where  patriotism  and  devotion  to  liberty  were 
to  be  found,  there  the  sons  of  Norwich  have  gone.  I  need 
not  tell  you  in  what  a  magnificent  way  and  with  what 
a  magnificent  record  this  town  came  to  the  front  in  1861. 
I  think  that  no  town  of  similar  size  made,  during  that 
terrible  struggle,  a  record  which  can  at  all  equal  or  which 
can  at  all  compare  with  it.  Norwich  gave  her  best  to  the 
principles  in  which  she  believed." 

Notwithstanding  the  sorrows  and  losses  of  the  war, 
so  enormous  were  the  demands  of  the  army  upon  manu- 
facturers, merchants,  and  farmers  for  clothing,  arms,  and 


EXPANSION  OF  NATIONAL  DOMAIN.  15 

agricultural  products,  and  so  lavish  were  the  expenditures 
of  the  government  in  paper  money,  and  so  large  were  the 
incomes  of  all  who  were  engaged  in  active  business,  that 
Norwich  during  the  war  and  the  years  immediately  follow- 
ing appeared  to  be  at  the  flood  tide  of  financial  prosperity. 

Subsequent  to  the  restoration  of  peace  and  the  recon- 
struction period,  most  noteworthy  is  the  vast  expansion  of 
the  national  domain,  first,  by  the  purchase  of  Alaska  from 
Russia  in  1867,  and,  then,  thirty  years  later,  by  the 
annexation  of  Hawaii;  and,  later  still,  by  the  acquisition 
of  Porto  Rico,  the  Philippines  and  other  smaller  islands  in 
the  Pacific  as  lawful  spoils  resulting  from  the  war  with 
Spain  in  1898,  and  finally,  by  the  "taking"  of  the  Panama 
Canal  Zone  by  President  Roosevelt  in  1904,  making  in  all 
an  addition  of  over  three-quarters  of  a  million  square  miles 
(753,984),  to  the  territory  of  the  United  States.  Simul- 
taneously, the  population  of  the  continental  United  States 
increased  nearly  three  fold  (from  31,443,321  in  1860,  to 
91,972,226  in  1910)  and  the  total  population,  including  the 
insular  possessions,  is  over  one  hundred  and  one  millions 
(101,100,000). 

Comparing  small  things  with  great  it  may  be  observed 
that  the  borders  of  Norwich  have  been  extended  by  the 
annexation  of  Laurel  Hill  and  a  portion  of  Preston,  and  that 
its  population  has  increased  from  14,048  to  28,219  in  fifty 
years. 

With  this  vast  increase  in  the  territory  and  population 
of  the  United  States,  facilities  for  transportation  by  land 
and  by  water  have  increased  in  corresponding  ratio.  On 
the  ocean  the  supremacy  of  the  Cunard  line  of  steamers  has 
been  successfully  challenged  by  many  competitors,  with  the 
result  that  the  time  between  England  and  New  York  has 
been  reduced  one-half  since  1859,  and  the  magnificent 
steamships  of  to-day  with  every  appliance  for  safety  and 
comfort  have  practically  banished  sailing  vessels  from  the 
sea.  On  the  land,  also,  transcontinental  trains  have 
diminished  by  one-half  the  time  to  all  important  points  and, 
with  improved  passenger  coaches,  parlor  cars,  sleeping  cars, 


l6  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

dining  cars,  safety  brakes,  and  vestibules,  absolutely 
unknown  fifty  years  ago,  have  lessened  the  risks  and  cor- 
respondingly increased  the  comfort  in  traveling. 

In  the  last  fifty  years  Norwich  has  participated  in 
the  excitement  of  thirteen  presidential  campaigns  from 
Abraham  Lincoln  to  William  Howard  Taft,  and  has  stood 
aghast  with  horror  at  the  assassination  of  three  honored 
presidents  of  the  United  States,  Lincoln,  Garfield,  and 
McKinley.  In  all  these  campaigns,  however  warmly  con- 
tested, the  opposing  parties,  sensible  that  differences  of 
opinion  are  not  incompatible  with  loyalty  to  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  the  constitution,  have  accepted  the 
results  of  the  elections  as  final  and  conclusive,  and  the  people 
of  Norwich  in  particular,  of  whatever  political  faith,  have 
forgotten  minor  differences  in  their  intense  spirit  of 
patriotism,  and  have  been  conspicuous  for  their  allegiance  to 
the  supreme  law  of  the  land. 

In  1859  ocean  telegraphy  was  in  its  infancy.  In  1909 
there  were  no  less  than  five  independent  cable  lines  to 
Europe,  and,  by  the  aid  of  the  telephone — regarded  as 
a  toy  if  not  a  "fake"  thirty-six  years  ago — a  merchant  on 
Main  street,  or  a  farmer  on  Wawecus  Hill  could  communi- 
cate with  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth  and  receive  a  reply 
in  a  few  hours  without  so  much  as  leaving  his  own  door. 
The  "wireless,"  the  most  marvellous  invention  of  the  age, 
is  no  longer  a  novelty.  Incoming  vessels  report  themselves 
hundreds  of  miles  at  sea,  and  the  Navy  Department  at 
Washington  is  perfecting  arrangements  for  direct  communi- 
cation with  every  United  States  war  ship  on  either  ocean. 

The  extension  of  the  mail  service  since  1859,  and  the 
reduction  in  postage  rates  keep  Norwich  in  touch  with 
more  than  sixty  thousand  domestic  post  offices.  Within  the 
memory  of  many  who  are  now  living  five  cents  was  the 
lowest  rate  for  letter  postage.  In  1909  a  two-cent  stamp 
would  carry  a  letter  to  any  of  the  possessions  of  the  United 
States,  to  England,  or  to  Shanghai.  Free  delivery  in  towns 
by  carriers,  rural  delivery  over  fifty  thousand  routes,  money 
orders,  letter  registration  were  unknown  in  1859,  and 


EDUCATION  AND  BENEFICENCE.  I/ 

although  these  agencies  are  not  directly  employed  every 
day  by  every  man  and  woman  in  Norwich  they  neverthe- 
less enter  into  all  the  varied  interests  of  domestic  and  com- 
mercial life,  and  come  close  to  "men's  business  and  bosoms." 

Xot  less  interesting  and  important  is  the  vastly  ex- 
tended diffusion  of  knowledge  by  books,  magazines,  and 
newspapers,  the  expansion  of  collegiate  educational  sys- 
tems, and  the  uplifting  of  primary  schools  and  academies, 
happily  illustrated  in  Norwich  by  the  graded  district 
schools,  and  by  the  Norwich  Free  Academy,  which  in  1859 
had  graduated  only  five  students,  and  in  1909  graduated 
sixty-two  students  and  had  four  hundred  and  forty-four 
scholars  under  instruction. 

No  review,  however  rapid,  of  the  great  events  that 
have  concerned  both  the  nation  and  Norwich  in  half  a 
century,  could  fail  to  observe  the  vast  amount  of  gifts  and 
bequests  for  libraries,  institutions  of  learning,  hospitals, 
churches,  and  other  beneficent  purposes.  Trustworthy 
figures  show  that  the  aggregate  of  gifts  exceeding  $5,000 
was  approximately  one  hundred  and  fifty  million  dollars 
in  the  United  States  in  the  single  year  of  1909,  without 
taking  into  consideration  the  enormous  sum  total  of  smaller 
gifts  from  the  two  mites  of  the  widow  up  to  five  thousand 
dollars  given  privately  of  which  there  is  no  record.  What 
Norwich  did  in  that  way  in  1909  through  its  churches  and 
benevolent  societies,  and  the  disbursements  for  benefits  and 
chanties  by  whatever  name  they  may  be  called,  of  the  great 
benevolent  and  fraternal  orders,  has  not  been  computed  and 
must  remain  matter  for  conjecture.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
an  appeal  for  a  good  cause  has  never  been  made  in  vain 
in  Norwich.  Her  sympathy  is  world  wide,  and  every  one 
of  her  citizens  may  well  say  with  the  Roman  poet,  "nothing 
human  is  foreign  to  me." 

A  traveler  needs  above  all  things  to  put  money  in  his 
purse,  and  so  the  exile  returning  to  his  old  home  after  many 
years,  without  stopping  to  discuss  the  merits  of  the  national 
banking  system,  which  did  not  exist  in  1859,  would  soon 
realize  with  satisfaction  the  great  convenience,  to  say  the 


1 8  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

least,  of  having  in  his  pocket,  money,  whether  coin  or 
currency,  of  recognized  and  equal  value  in  every  part  of 
the  land  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  He  could  not 
fail  to  note  with  pride  that  the  financial  institutions  of 
Norwich  have  for  the  whole  period  of  fifty  years  more  than 
maintained  their  old-time  reputation  for  integrity  and 
adherence  to  sound  business  principles. 

The  boys  and  girls  in  Norwich  to-day,  the  children  who 
can  call  "Central"  on  the  telephone  as  soon  as  they  learn 
to  speak,  do  not  realize  that  present  conditions  have  not 
always  existed.  They  accept  the  telegraph,  the  telephone, 
electric  light,  steam  heat,  rapid  transit — all  modern  inven- 
tions— as  they  accept  God's  free  gifts,  light,  air,  and  water, 
as  their  natural  heritage. 

Nor  are  the  daily  wage  earners  always  sensible  that 
they  have  derived  greater  benefits,  proportionately,  in  the 
world's  progress,  than  any  other  class  in  the  community. 
If  great  fortunes  have  been  accumulated  by  inventors  and 
captains  of  industry  in  railroads,  in  oil,  in  improved  manu- 
facturing processes,  they  are  as  nothing  in  comparison  with 
the  immense  advantages  that  have  accrued  through  their 
enterprise  and  genius  to  every  man  and  woman  in  the  land. 

Mr.  Motley,  the  historian,  said  paradoxically,  "give 
me  the  luxuries  of  life  and  I  will  dispense  with  the  neces- 
saries/' We  have  changed  all  that.  The  luxuries  of  the 
fathers  have  become  the  necessaries  of  their  children.  If 
the  workingman's  hours  are  still  sixty  minutes  long,  there 
are  not  so  many  hours  in  the  working  day.  For  five  cents 
he  can  ride  with  greater  speed  and  greater  comfort,  in 
a  better  vehicle,  over  a  better  road  than  the  richest  man 
could  fifty  years  ago.  The  world's  best  books,  "worth  a 
dukedom,"  are  open  to  him  without  money  and  without 
price.  Is  he  ill,  has  he  sustained  an  accident,  the  hospital 
gives  him  better  medical  and  surgical  treatment  than 
millions  could  have  commanded  in  1859. 

Within  the  last  two  generations,  by  modern  methods  of 
distribution,  the  sometimes  unjustly  censured  middleman 
has  brought  from  the  producer  to  the  very  doors  of  the 


PRODUCER,  MIDDLEMAN,  CONSUMER.  19 

consumer  the  manufactures  and  agricultural  products  of 
every  section  of  the  land  that  by  no  other  means  could 
have  been  his,  and  in  no  place  is  the  fact  more  generally 
recognized  than  in  Norwich  that  the  interests  of  employers 
and  laborers  are  closely  identified,  and  that  neither  the 
producer,  the  consumer,  nor  the  middleman  can  say,  the 
one  to  the  other,  "I  have  no  need  of  thee." 

From  this  rapid  review  of  some  of  the  noteworthy 
events  of  world-wide  interest  that  have  profoundly  con- 
cerned Norwich  within  the  last  two  generations  attention 
must  now  be  turned  to  affairs  in  a  narrower  field  that  are 
of  peculiar  interest  to  the  town  itself. 


INTRODUCTION.     PART  II. 

Norwich  1859  to  igog. 

Although  the  different  villages  that  compose  Norwich 
are  members  of  the  same  body  and  have  many  interests  in 
common  they  have  many  that  are  diverse.  Secluded  to 
some  extent  by  natural  divisions  they  do  not  easily  get 
together.  Bean  Hill  is  far  from  Laurel  Hill,  Thamesville 
from  Taftville.  Even  within  the  city  limits  the  rocky  ridge 
of  Jail  Hill,  or  Savin  Hill,  as  it  used  to  be  called,  is  a  formid- 
able barrier  between  the  two  important  thoroughfares, 
Broadway  and  Washington  street,  and,  consequently, 
public  improvements  that  are  urgently  needed  in  one  section, 
concern  another  section  so  remotely  that  unanimity  is  well 
nigh  impossible.  The  dwellers  in  the  outer  districts,  the 
farmers  on  the  hill  sides,  the  workers  in  the  more  remote 
manufacturing  villages,  while  largely  benefited  by  the 
advantages  of  the  city,  have  been  reluctant  to  be  incor- 
porated with  it.  They  bring  to  the  city  the  products  of 
their  farms  and  mills,  they  deposit  their  money  in  the  city 
banks,  their  children  are  in  the  Free  Academy,  their  wives 
and  daughters  come  to  the  city  for  the  latest  fashions,  "the 
freedom  of  the  city"  is  theirs,  its  amusements,  its  libraries, 
and  its  churches,  but  hitherto  they  have  uniformly  opposec\ 
consolidation. 

As  long  ago  as  1868  petitions  for  consolidation  were 
presented  to  the  General  Assembly,  but  so  persistent  was 
the  opposition  from  Greeneville,  Laurel  Hill,  East  Great 
Plain,  and  Up-town  that  the  measure  failed.  At  a  later 
period  (1874-75),  Greeneville  and  also  Laurel  Hill  (which 
had  been  annexed  to  the  town  in  1857)  were  added  to  the 
city,  and,  in  1901,  the  part  of  Preston  known  as  East 
Norwich.  Whatever  reluctance  may  have  existed  at  any 
time  in  the  annexed  districts  there  is  no  reason  to  believe 
that  they  would  now  vote  to  secede  if  such  action  were 


PUBLIC  IMPROVEMENTS.  21 

suggested.  Again,  in  1908,  a  similar  movement  for  con- 
solidation had  considerable  strength.  It  was  demonstrated 
by  Mayor  Charles  F.  Thayer  and  others  that,  by  an 
equitable  adjustment,  the  dwellers  at  a  distance  from  the 
center  might  be  taxed  at  a  lower  rate  than  those  who  more 
directly  profited  by  such  municipal  advantages  as  water 
supply,  protection  from  fire,  police  force,  pavements,  and 
lighted  streets,  but  this  plan  was  also  defeated,  partly 
through  fear  of  increased  taxes,  and  partly,  perhaps,  from 
purely  sentimental  considerations. 

Proposed  New  Charter. 

The  proposed  new  form  of  city  government  does  not 
come  within  the  limits  of  the  fifty  years  now  under  review, 
yet  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  record  the  fact  that  at  a  city 
meeting  in  1910  it  was  voted  that  the  Mayor  appoint  five 
commissioners  to  draft  a  new  charter  for  the  city.  The 
commissioners,  Henry  A.  Tirrell,  Hibberd  R.  Norman, 
Charles  H.  Haskell,  Frederic  W.  Gary,  and  Herman  Alofsin, 
2nd.,  carefully  considered  the  subject,  and  after  many 
sessions,  public  and  private,  presented  a  plan  for  a  form  of 
government  by  commission,  substantially  like  that  adopted 
in  other  cities,  which — with  slight  modifications  was 
unanimously  accepted  in  city  meeting,  and  was  ordered  to 
be  presented  to  the  General  Assembly  with  a  petition  that 
a  new  charter  be  granted  accordingly.  At  the  January 
session  in  1911  the  charter  was  granted,  and  was  referred  for 
final  action  to  the  city  meeting  of  the  same  year,  when,  to 
the  surprise  of  its  friends,  it  was  defeated  by  a  small 
majority  in  a  small  total  vote. 

Water  Supply. 

The  difficulties  that  have  sometimes  beset  the  people 
of  Norwich  when  they  have  tried  to  get  together  have  been 
illustrated  by  the  water  problem,  which,  though  it  cannot 
be  called  a  burning  question,  has  kept  the  town  in  hot  water 
more  or  less  of  the  time  for  forty  years.  It  has  been  univer- 


22  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

sally  conceded  that  an  adequate  supply  of  pure  and  whole- 
some water  is  an  imperative  necessity  for  every  citizen  of 
Norwich,  his  wife,  his  children,  his  cattle,  and  the  stranger 
within  his  gates.  Yet,  there  have  been  seasons  when  pne 
might  have  said  that  on  the  surrounding  hills  there  was 
"water  everywhere,  but  not  a  drop  to  drink"  in  the  city. 
In  1859  the  town  was  dependent  for  water  supply  on  private 
wells.  In  the  thickly  settled  districts  were  a  few  public 
pumps,  and  some  private  reservoirs  and  aqueducts  that 
yielded  considerable  revenue  to  the  owners,  but  the  supply 
of  water  was  always  insufficient  and  the  quality  was  open 
to  suspicion,  even  before  bacteria  and  microbes  had  been 
invented  to  vex  men's  souls  and  bodies.  Great  was  the  need, 
yet  in  1864,  after  an  amendment  to  the  charter  granted  by 
the  legislature  had  been  formally  accepted  by  the  citizens, 
and  after  contracts  had  been  submitted  for  the  construction 
of  a  reservoir  at  Fairview  and  for  street  mains  at 
a  cost  of  $185,000,  opposition  to  the  proposed  site 
was  so  great  that  a  special  city  meeting  was  called  to  rescind 
the  vote.  The  question  was  finally  settled  in  1868  by  the 
small  majority  of  ninety-three  votes  in  favor  of  water,  and 
the  water  commissioners  were  authorized  to  proceed  with 
the  work.  Under  their  direction  a  reservoir  was  con- 
structed at  Fairview  between  the  Scotland  and  Canterbury 
roads,  about  a  mile  from  the  Up-town  green,  with  a  dam  four 
hundred  feet  long  and  thirty-five  feet  high,  having  a 
capacity  of  350,000,000  gallons.  In  May,  1870,  the  success- 
ful completion  of  the  water  works  was  celebrated  with  great 
enthusiasm.  No  one  could  foretell  at  that  time  how  great 
would  be  the  increase  in  the  population  of  Norwich;  still 
less  could  any  one  estimate  how  enormous  would  be  the 
increase  in  the  consumption  of  water. 

It  has  been  said  that  "Charity  begins  at  home." 
Not  so  with  economy  in  the  use  of  water.  It  never 
begins  anywhere  except  under  pressure  of  stern  neces- 
sity. The  people  demand  that  water  shall  be  as  free 
and  abundant  as  light  and  air,  and  the  more  they  have 
the  more  they  want.  Consequently,  in  more  than  one 


PUBLIC  IMPROVEMENTS.  23 

year  a  water  famine  has  been  imminent,  and,  as  a  temporary 
expedient  for  increasing  the  storage  capacity,  the  dam  at 
Fairview  was  raised  in  1900,  while  discussion  grew  hot  con- 
cerning the  comparative  value  of  Pease  brook  and  Stony 
brook  as  permanent  sources  of  supply.  Prolonged  seasons 
of  drought  throughout  New  England  have  reduced  the 
water  supply  of  Norwich,  as  of  other  cities,  below  the 
danger  point,  and  the  strange  spectacle  has  been  seen  of 
Standard  oil  selling  at  a  lower  price  per  gallon  than  pure 
spring  water!  It  is  believed  that  the  peril  has  now  been 
happily  averted,  and  that  Norwich  will  never  again  suffer 
till  all  the  streams  run  dry. 

The  Street  Railways. 

The  street  railways  have  been  a  strong  bond  of  union 
between  the  separated  districts  of  the  town.  In  1859 
Norwich  was  wholly  destitute  of  such  public  conveyances 
as  omnibuses,  except,  indeed,  William  Bennett's  "accom- 
modation" between  town  and  landing,  which  was  supposed 
to  make  two  trips  daily.  In  1865  John  Hough  ran  a  stage 
four  times  a  day  from  Shetucket  street  to  Bean  Hill,  and 
G.  A.  Bushnell  managed  a  line  to  Occum  and  Hanover, 
but  not  until  five  years  later  (1870),  was  the  first  street  car 
line  opened  from  Franklin  Square  to  Bean  Hill.  This  was 
extended  several  years  afterwards  when  electric  power  had 
come  into  use  to  Yantic.  Other  horse  power  lines  also  were 
opened  to  Greeneville  and  the  West  Side.  In  1909  these  had 
all  been  replaced  by  electric  trolley  lines  radiating  to  New 
London,  Willimantic,  Westerly,  and  Plainfield,  thus  bring- 
ing Norwich  into  close  connection  with  the  entire  trolley 
system  of  New  England.  Under  efficient  management,  the 
Connecticut  Company  has  given  to  Norwich  trolley  service 
that  leaves  little  to  be  desired. 

The  extension  of  the  New  York  and  New  Haven  rail- 
road tracks  on  the  east  side  of  the  Thames  to  Groton  and 
New  London,  the  building  of  a  new  railroad  station  in  the 
vicinity  of  Franklin  square,  and  the  extension  of  the  New 
London  Northern  railroad's  connections  have  more  than 


24  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

doubled  the  facilities  for  transportation  by  land  that  were 
available  in  1859,  and  afford  easy  connections  by  steamboats 
at  New  London  for  New  York.  Automobiles  and  motor 
trucks  on  the  public  roads,  regarded  as  a  novelty  ten  years 
ago,  are  daily  increasing  in  number  to  such  an  extent  that 
it  seems  not  improbable  that  beasts  of  burden  may  become 
extinct,  like  the  pre-historic  ancestors  of  the  horse  whose 
fossil  remains  were  discovered  by  Prof.  Othniel  C.  Marsh 
of  Yale  University.  Indeed,  the  time  seems  not  far  distant 
when  men  will  habitually  rise  superior  to  the  earth  and 
the  sea  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and,  soaring  as  on  eagle's 
wings,  will  fly  to  the  world's  remotest  bound. 

Electric  Light. 

In  1859  kerosene  oil,  that  inestimable  benefaction  to  the 
people  who  sat  in  darkness,  was  only  beginning  to  come 
into  general  use,  and  coal  gas  was  limited  to  the  thickly 
settled  parts  of  the  town.  In  1909  the  marvellous  electric 
light  was  extensively  employed  to  illuminate  the  public 
streets  and  dwellings  and  places  of  business.  Since  the  city, 
took  over  the  gas  and  electric  light  plant  the  cost  has  been 
reduced  to  the  consumer  and  a  profit  has  accrued  to  the 
public  treasury,  thus  justifying  the  anticipations  of  Charles 
F.  Thayer,  who  warmly  supported  the  measure  during  his 
term  of  office  as  mayor. 

Fire  Department. 

The  protection  from  fires  furnished  by  the  volunteer 
fire  companies  was  quite  insufficient  in  1859,  and  it  was  not 
until  1869  that  the  first  steam  engine  was  employed.  Since 
that  time  discipline  and  efficiency  and  equipment  have 
greatly  improved,  especially  during  the  last  ten  years  under 
the  direction  of  Howard  L.  Stanton,  chief  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment and  superintendent  of  the  fire  alarm  telegraph.  The 
working  force,  in  seven  companies,  now  numbers  nearly  one 
hundred,  including  permanent  men,  call  men,  and  enrolled 
volunteers.  Sixty-five  alarm  boxes  at  important  points  in 


NORWICH  BOARD  OF  TRADE.  25 

different  parts  of  the  city  ensure  an  immediate  response  to 
calls.  The  most  disastrous  fires  in  the  last  half  century 
have  been  at  the  Alms  House  in  1876,  at  the  Hopkins  & 
Allen's  works  on  Franklin  street  in  1900,  the  Shannon 
Building  in  1909,  and  the  Lucas  Building  on  Shetucket 
street  in  1911.  With  a  normal  supply  of  water  in  the  Fair- 
view  reservoir  at  an  elevation  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
at  overflow,  the  compact  business  district  in  Norwich  has 
better  fire  protection  than  most  cities  of  the  same  size. 

Police  Force. 

It  is  traditional  that  in  1859  the  police  force  in  Norwich 
consisted  of  one  solitary  night  watchman,  whose  chief  duty, 
like  Dogberry's,  was  to  "comprehend  all  vagrom  men,"  and 
to  see  to  it  that  the  street  lamps  were  not  allowed  to  burn 
on  nights,  however  dark  and  stormy,  when  the  moon  was 
presumed  to  shine.  The  citizens  of  Norwich  to-day  are  as 
obedient  to  law  and  order  as  they  were  fifty  years  ago.  As 
they  never  need  to  be  arrested  an  increase  in  the  police 
force  proportionate  with  the  increase  of  population,  say  two 
for  one,  would  have  sufficed  for  all  ordinary  occasions.  But, 
as  a  standing  army  is  desirable  for  defensive  purposes,  so 
it  has  been  found  expedient  to  maintain  a  force  of  about 
twenty-five  regulars  and  as  many  more  supernumeraries, 
chiefly  as  a  safeguard  against  tramps,  and  as  instructors  of 
new  comers  who  are  ignorant  of  Norwich  manners  and 
customs.  Norwich  rejoices  that  the  new  comers  are  soon 
assimilated  and  become  good  natives.  After  acquiring  a 
little  property  of  their  own  they  learn  to  respect  the  laws 
that  have  been  made  for  the  protection  of  everyone,  and 
become  loyal  citizens. 

The  Norwich  Board  of  Trade, 

Organized  in  1887  and  incorporated  in  April,  1893, 
has  more  than  three  hundred  members,  including  the 
most  influential  citizens  of  Norwich  in  all  departments 
of  commercial,  financial,  manufacturing,  and  profes- 


26  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

sional  business.  Without  legislative  or  executive  author- 
ity, its  voice  is  nevertheless  powerful  in  all  affairs  of 
public  welfare.  The  animated  discussions  at  its  monthly 
meetings  stimulate  interest  and  lead  to  definite  action  in 
regard  to  new  industries,  public  improvements,  health  and 
sanitation,  transportation,  legislation,  and  every  measure 
that  concerns  the  prosperity  of  the  community. 

In  September,  1901,  the  Board  took  an  active  part  in 
the  highly  successful  celebration  of  Old  Home  Week,  pro- 
posed by  Mayor  Charles  F.  Thayer,  when  the  town  was 
honored  by  the  presence  of  former  President  Grover 
Cleveland,  who  delivered  an  address  before  a  large  audience 
at  the  Broadway  theatre.  In  May,  1906,  it  promoted  an 
interesting  and  instructive  industrial  exposition  at  the 
Armory,  in  which  practically  every  manufacturer  in  Nor- 
wich was  represented. 

Similar  bodies  in  other  cities  may  claim  a  larger 
membership,  but,  for  sound  judgment,  quick  appreciation 
of  the  merits  of  questions  that  come  before  it,  prompt 
action,  and  hearty  co-operation  in  every  good  work,  the 
Norwich  Board  of  Trade  sets  an  example  that  has  not  been 
surpassed  elsewhere.  Its  bulletins  prepared  for  the  cele- 
bration by  President  F.  W.  Cary  are  of  great  permanent 
value. 

Beneficent  Institutions  of  Norwich. 

Among  the  benevolent  institutions  created  in  the  last 
half  century  is  the  Eliza  Huntington  Memorial  Home, 
established  under  the  will  of  Jedediah  Huntington,  a  suc- 
cessful merchant  of  Norwich,  who  died  there  in  1872  at  the 
age  of  eighty-one  years.  In  pursuance  of  the  charitable 
wishes  of  his  wife,  and  as  a  tribute  to  her  memory,  Mr. 
Huntington  gave  the  house  and  grounds  on  Washington 
street  that  had  been  their  residence  for  forty  years,  together 
with  the  sum  of  $35,000,  for  "a  pleasant  home  for  respect- 
able and  indigent,  aged  and  infirm  females."  Since  its 
incorporation  as  the  Eliza  Huntington  Memorial  Home  by 
the  Legislature  in  1872,  its  affairs  have  been  successfully 
conducted  by  a  board  of  trustees  of  whom  five  are  elected 


BENEFICENT  INSTITUTIONS.  2/ 

annually  by  the  corporation,  and  two,  the  rectors  of  Christ 
Church  and  Trinity  Church,  are  members  ex-officio.  The 
general  manager  is  the  Rev.  J.  Eldred  Brown,  rector  of 
Trinity  parish. 

The  United  Workers  of  Norwich, 

incorporated  in  1878,  has  for  its  object  the  promotion  of 
practical  benevolence  and,  "especially,  the  relief  of  suffering 
and  the  elevation  of  destitute  women  and  children."  Under 
its  auspices  The  Sheltering  Arms,  in  a  building  given  by 
John  F.  Slater  and  LaFayette  S.  Foster,  opens  its  doors  for 
aged  and  infirm  persons  and  the  temporarily  homeless.  It 
also  maintains  the  Rocknook  Home  for  children,  on  the 
up-town  green  in  the  former  residence  of  Moses  Pierce, 
which  was  given  by  him  in  1878  for  that  purpose.  The 
United  Workers  House,  No.  9  Washington  street,  is  the 
headquarters  of  the  various  committees  charged  with  visit- 
ing the  sick  and  needy,  with  providing  work  for  the  un- 
employed, and  the  frequent  visitation  of  the  jail,  alms  house 
and  hospitals.  All  these  agencies,  working  harmoniously  in 
co-operation  with  the  city  missionary,  Rev.  Charles  A. 
Northrop,  who  is  also  the  probation  officer  of  the  city  court, 
are  represented  in  the  general  executive  committee,  and  are 
so  efficient  that  every  applicant  for  relief  or  counsel  receives 
immediate  attention. 

For  more  than  thirty  years  the  United  Workers  has 
been  supported  by  voluntary  contributions,  and  the  long 
list  of  givers  published  annually  attests  the  hold  it  has  on 
the  confidence  of  the  whole  community  as  an  example  of  the 
best  type  of  charity  organization. 

The  William  W.  Backus  Hospital, 

incorporated  under  the  statute  laws  of  Connecticut  in 
April,  1891,  was  endowed  by  William  W.  Backus,  aided  by 
the  liberal  co-operation  of  William  A.  Slater,  the  amount 
of  whose  benefactions  has  not  been  made  public.  The 
hospital  is  situated  on  Washington  street  about  a  mile  from 


28  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

the  center  of  the  city,  and  consists  of  six  buildings  sur- 
rounded by  eighteen  acres  of  land.  It  maintains  a  training 
school  for  nurses,  a  dispensary  in  the  city,  and  a  dispensary 
for  treatment  of  the  eye  and  ear. 

At  the  formal  opening  of  the  Hospital  in  October,  1893, 
the  principal  address  was  delivered  by  Dr.  William  T.  Lusk, 
who,  as  a  native  of  Norwich  and  as  a  distinguished  physi- 
cian in  New  York,  was  cordially  greeted  by  a  company 
of  invited  guests  in  one  of  the  large  wards.  An  address  was 
also  made  by  William  A.  Slater,  who,  modestly  refraining 
from  any  allusion  to  his  own  liberality,  which  had  made 
possible  the  completion  of  the  Hospital,  ascribed  all  the 
honor  to  William  W.  Backus.  On  the  same  occasion  two 
hundred  and  fifty  women  of  Norwich  manifested  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  generous  benefaction  of  their  townsmen, 
Messrs.  Backus  and  Slater,  by  providing  the  hospital  linen. 
In  concluding  his  address,  Dr.  Lusk  said:  "Thrice  happy 
Norwich !  Happy  in  the  beauties  so  lavishly  bestowed  upon 
it  by  nature,  happy  in  the  possession  of  so  many  beautiful 
homes,  and  happy  in  the  intelligent  liberality  of  its  favored 
citizens."  The  president  of  the  Hospital  is  Winslow  Tracy 
Williams,  William  A.  Slater  is  the  honorary  president,  and 
former  presidents  are  the  Rev.  Samuel  H.  Howe,  Dr. 
Leonard  B.  Almy,  and  Gen.  Edward  Harland. 


The  Norwich  Hospital  for  the  Insane 

was  incorporated  by  the  General  Assembly  in  1903,  and 
is  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Thames  river,  three  miles 
from  the  city,  on  land  given  by  the  town  of  Norwich.  The 
government  of  the  hospital  is  vested  in  a  board  consisting 
of  the  Governor  and  twelve  trustees  appointed  by  the 
senate.  The  buildings,  equipped  with  all  the  requirements 
of  modern  hospitals,  are  in  process  of  extension  as  rapidly 
as  appropriations  by  the  state  permit,  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Dr.  Henry  M.  Pollock,  the  resident  physician. 
The  number  of  patients  in  1909  was  about  seven  hundred. 
The  president  of  the  board  is  Costello  Lippitt. 


BENEFICENT  INSTITUTIONS.  2Q 

The  Johnson  Home 

was  incorporated  by  the  legislature  in  1905,  with  authority 
to  receive  the  bequest  of  Mrs.  Maria  E.  Johnson,  and  to 
execute  the  charitable  purpose  expressed  in  her  last  will 
by  founding  an  institution  bearing  her  name  as  a  home  for 
''aged  and  needy  women."  The  King's  Daughters,  having 
already  established  in  the  year  1908  a  home  for  "worthy 
Protestant  women,"  in  the  large  brick  building  formerly 
Lathrop's  Tavern  on  the  up-town  green,  a  friendly  agree- 
ment was  made  by  which  the  Johnson  Home  assumed 
certain  financial  responsibilities,  and  the  King's  Daughters 
by  its  officers  undertook  to  act  as  a  house  committee.  The 
beneficent  purposes  of  both  organizations  are  thus  con- 
tinued harmoniously  and  successfully  in  the  name  of  the 
Johnson  Home.  The  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Home  is 
Judge  Gardiner  Greene  and  the  president  is  Judge  John  M. 
Thayer. 

The  New  London  County  Temporary  Home 

for  destitute  and  neglected  children  was  established  under 
the  general  statutes  of  the  state  in  1883,  and  opened  in 
1884  at  the  Starr  Farm  on  the  New  London  Turnpike,  west 
of  the  Paper  Mill  Bridge.  It  was  removed  to  the  Preston 
side  of  the  Shetucket  river,  now  part  of  Norwich,  in  1891. 
It  is  under  the  control  of  a  board  consisting  of  the  County 
Commissioners,  one  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities, 
and  one  of  the  State  Board  of  Health,  aided  by  a  committee 
of  ladies  who  serve  without  compensation,  having  at  all 
times  the  right  to  visit  the  Home,  and  suggest  improve- 
ments to  the  board,  and  to  assist  in  the  selection  of  family 
homes  and  in  the  frequent  visitation  of  children  who  have 
been  placed  therein. 

The  Otis  Library 

was  founded  by  Joseph  Otis,  a  native  of  Norwich,  who 
retired  from  active  business  at  the  age  of  seventy,  and,  in 
1851,  established  the  library  which  bears  his  name.  Until 


3O  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

1893  it  was  supported  by  subscription.  Since  that  date  an 
annual  appropriation  of  $4,500  by  the  town  toward  the 
expenses  of  administration  has  enabled  the  trustees  to  make 
the  library  free  to  all  the  people  of  Norwich.  In  1893  an 
addition  to  the  building  costing  $18,000  was  paid  for  by 
popular  subscription.  The  fund  of  $7,000  given  by  Mr.  Otis 
was  insufficient  to  meet  the  increasing  demands  of  the 
large  number  of  readers  who  enjoy  the  privileges  afforded 
by  the  library,  and  it  has  been  increased  by  bequests  from 
Dr.  Daniel  Tyler  Coit,  Charles  Boswell,  William  W. 
Backus,  Charles  P.  Huntington,  Elizabeth  B.  Woodhull, 
and  Martha  P.  Foster,  amounting  in  all  to  $53,000,  the 
income,  in  part,  being  applied  to  the  purchase  of  books. 
The  library  now  contains  about  40,000  volumes,  and,  during 
the  administration  of  Jonathan  Trumbull  as  librarian,  the 
total  registration  of  book-borrowers  has  increased  to  8,000, 
and  the  average  number  of  issues  of  books  has  been  over 
114,000  for  the  last  four  years.  It  is  believed  that  no  other 
library  has  accomplished  equally  good  results  with  such 
limited  resources.  The  president  is  Gen.  William  A.  Aiken, 
and  the  treasurer,  John  C.  Averill. 

The  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 

Faith  Trumbull  Chapter,  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  1901,  un- 
veiled a  bronze  tablet  on  a  granite  boulder  near  the  Town 
street  entrance  of  the  Up-town  burying  ground,  in  memory 
of  the  twenty  nameless  French  soldiers  of  the  Revolution, 
who,  serving  under  Lafayette,  died  while  in  camp  on 
Norwich  Town  green  in  1778.  The  exercises  on  the  occasion 
included  addresses  by  the  Rev.  Charles  A.  Northrop, 
George  Shepard  Porter,  and  Mrs.  Sarah  T.  Kinney,  the 
state  regent,  and  the  singing  of  "The  Sword  of  Bunker  Hill" 
by  Mrs.  Martin  E.  Jensen. 

Two  years  later,  July  4,  1903,  Mrs.  Frank  A.  Roath, 
regent  of  Faith  Trumbull  Chapter,  presided  at  a  large 
gathering  assembled  near  the  East  Town  street  entrance 
of  the  burying  ground  to  dedicate  the  iron  gates  that  had 


DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION.  3! 

stood  for  seventy-one  years  before  the  mansion  of  the  late 
Amos  H.  Hubbard  on  East  Main  street,  on  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  United  States  Post  Office.  The  gate  posts 
support  bronze  tablets  bearing  the  names  of  fifty-nine 
Revolutionary  soldiers  whose  graves  were  known  to  be 
within  the  enclosure.  Following  are  the  names : 


Capt.  Isaac  Abel 
Rufus  Backus  Abel 
Capt.  Elijah  Backus 
Corp.  Ezekiel  Barrett 
Sergt.  Zephaniah  Bliss 
Capt.  Joseph  Carew 
Eliphalit  Carew 
Paym't'r  Gardner  Carpenter 
Sergt.  Nathan  Chapel,  Jr. 
Edward  Conoy 
Col.  John  Durkee 
Capt.  Elisha  Edgerton 
Capt.  John  Fanning 
Thomas  Fanning 
Stephen  Gifford 
Capt.  Silas  Goodell 
Abel  Griswold 
Lieut.  Andrew  Griswold 
Benjamin  Huntington 
Com's'y  Andrew  Huntington 
Sergt.  Caleb  Huntington 
Gen.  Ebenezer  Huntington 
Gen.  Jabez  Huntington 
Gen.  Jedidiah  Huntington 
Lt.  Col.  Joshua  Huntington 
Sergt.  John  Huntington 
Gov.  Samuel  Huntington 
Capt.  Simeon  Huntington 
Abiel  Hyde 
Theodore  Hyde 


Capt.  James  Hyde 

Drummer  Parmenas  Jones 

Ensign  Azariah  Lathrop 

Darius  Lathrop 

Jedidiah  Lathrop 

Jonathan  Lathrop 

Zachariah  Lathrop 

Andrew  Leffingwell 

Col.  Christopher  Leffingwell 

Lieut.  Daniel  Leffingwell 

Capt.  Samuel  Leffingwell 

Ensign  Elisha  Leffingwell 

John  Leffingwell 

Phineas    Leffingwell 

Drummer  Diah  Manning 

Capt.  Bela  Peck 

Capt.  Joshua  Pendleton 

Dr.  David  Rogers 

Col.  Zabdiel  Rogers 

Jonathan  Starr 

Capt.  Frederick  Tracy 

Jabez  Tracy 

Dr.  Philemon  Tracy 

Uriah  Tracy 

Simeon  Thomas 

Capt.  Asa  Waterman 

Capt.  Nehemiah  Waterman 

Asa  Woodworth 

Corp.  Joshua  Yeomans 


32  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

The  graves  of  Corporal  Jabez  Avery,  John  Bliss,  John 
Bushnell,  Samuel  Case,  David  Hunn,  Ebenezer  Jones, 
Drummer  Benjamin  Tracy,  John  Morse,  John  Williams, 
and  Solomon  Williams  have  not  been  identified. 

Addresses  were  made  by  Mayor  Charles  F.  Thayer, 
by  Jonathan  Trumbull,  who  told  the  history  of  the  gates, 
and  by  Captain  Henry  P.  Goddard,  who  paid  a  graceful 
tribute  to  the  men  and  women  and  institutions  of  former 
days.  George  S.  Porter,  who  had  identified  the  names  and 
graves  of  the  soldiers,  read  a  carefully  prepared  history  of 
the  burying  ground.  It  is  worthy  of  mention  here  that  at 
about  that  time,  1903,  Mr.  Porter  voluntarily  undertook  the 
extremely  arduous  task  of  deciphering  and  transcribing  the 
stone  records  in  the  burying  ground  that  are  being  rapidly 
reduced  to  dust  by  the  effacing  fingers  of  Time.  It  is 
believed  that  not  one  of  thirteen  hundred  graves  escaped 
his  observation  and  that  he  copied  with  scrupulous  exact- 
ness every  legible  word  and  letter.  He  died  in  1908.  It  is 
to  be  hoped  that  by  the  generosity  of  some  public  spirited 
descendant  of  a  Founder  of  Norwich,  Mr.  Porter's  invalu- 
able manuscript,  which  is  now  in  the  hands  of  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Jane  Porter  Rudd,  may  find  a  publisher. 

The  Daughters  also  caused  suitable  inscriptions  to  be 
placed  near  the  former  home  of  Governor  Samuel  Hunting- 
ton,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  also 
near  the  homes  of  General  Jabez  Huntington  and  his 
distinguished  sons,  Jedidiah,  Andrew,  Joshua,  Ebenezer, 
and  Zachariah,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  The  memorial 
fountain  placed  by  the  Daughters  in  the  little  plain  on 
Broadway  will  be  described  later  in  this  volume. 

The  Miantonomo  Monument. 

The  monumental  stone  that  for  sixty-three  years  had 
marked  the  spot  where  Uncas,  chief  of  the  Mohegans, 
captured  Miantonomo,  chief  of  the  Narragansetts,  was 
moved  in  1904  to  a  little  cliff  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
from  its  original  position.  The  change  came  about  through 
the  purchase  for  building  purposes  of  the  land  on  which  the 


MIANTONOMO  AND  UNCAS.  33 

monument  stood.  According  to  the  lay-out  the  stone  was 
on  the  dividing  line  between  two  lots.  By  prompt  action 
Miss  Maria  Perit  Oilman  and  Mrs.  Louisa  Oilman  Lane 
purchased  the  two  lots  and  the  stone,  and  also  the  plot, 
120  by  160  feet,  to  which  the  monument  was  afterwards 
removed.  They  then  appealed  to  the  Society  of  Colonial 
Wars,  and  Major  Bela  Peck  Learned  and  Jonathan  Trum- 
bull  were  appointed  a  committee  and  given  funds  for  the 
purchase  of  the  land  and  the  removal  and  preservation  of 
the  stone,  which  thus  became  the  property  of  an  incor- 
porated society.  The  original  inscription  was  "Mianto- 
nomo.  1643."  To  this  was  added,  "Erected  in  1841.  Placed 
here  by  Connecticut  Society  of  Colonial  Wars  1904." 

The  history  of  the  monument  is  worthy  of  record  here. 
In  1841,  a  year  before  the  Uncas  monument  on  Sachem 
street  was  completed,  "the  late  William  C.  Gilman  and  his 
associates,"  with  a  view  to  the  erection  of  a  simple  memorial 
of  Miantonomo,  invited  the  venerable  Judge  Nathaniel 
Shipman  to  go  with  them  to  Sachem's  Plain  and  point  out 
the  spot  where  he  remembered  to  have  seen  in  his  early 
boyhood  the  great  pile  of  rough  stones  heaped  up  in 
remembrance  of  their  great  chieftain  by  the  Narragansetts 
in  their  wanderings  through  the  country.  As  they  were 
entering  the  field  one  of  the  party  said  to  the  judge,  "please 
try  to  remember  a  shady  place,  if  you  can !"  The  old  gentle- 
man surveyed  the  ground,  and,  advancing  straightway  to 
the  shadow  of  a  convenient  tree,  planted  in  the  earth 
his  silver  headed  cane,  "the  ancient  cane"  of  Lieutenant 
Thomas  Leffingwell,  friend  of  Uncas,  and  said,  "as  nearly 
as  I  can  remember,  it  was  not  ten  feet  from  this  spot !" 

The  company  of  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls,  and 
members  of  the  "Cold  Water  Army,"  who  assembled  there 
on  the  following  Fourth  of  July,  when  the  monument  was 
first  exhibited  to  the  public,  duly  appreciated  the  "shady 
place,"  while  addresses  were  made,  and  a  bucket  of  cold 
water  from  the  Sachem's  spring  was  poured  over  the 
granite  block  by  Thomas  Sterry  Hunt,  then  a  Norwich 
school  boy,  afterward  the  eminent  geologist  of  the  United 


34  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

States  and  Canada.  Some  time  later,  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Leffingwell  Shipman  asked  his  father  how  he  could  venture 
to  say  after  the  lapse  of  so  many  years  that  that  was  the 
exact  spot  where  in  his  childhood  he  had  seen  the  heap 
of  stones.  "Thomas,"  said  the  judge  gravely,  "it  was  no 
time  for  me  to  balk !" 

It  would  have  been  unfortunate  indeed  had  one  of  the 
few  memorials  of  the  almost  extinct  tribes  been  lost  to 
sight  and  remembrance  in  the  back  garden  of  a  private 
dwelling  or  hewn  into  foundation  stones  for  a  new  build- 
ing. Miantonomo  is  fitly  commemorated  on  Sachem's  Plain, 
Uncas,  on  Sachem  street.  It  may  be  hoped  that,  in  happier 
hunting  grounds  than  Narragansett  or  Mohegan  they  smoke 
the  pipe  of  peace,  that  ancient  animosities  are  forgotten, 
and  the  hatchet  is  buried  forever. 

The  Mason  Monument. 

Among  the  interesting  events  of  the  celebration  of  1859 
was  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  a  monument  in 
memory  of  Major  John  Mason  and  the  Founders  of  Nor- 
wich, in  Yantic  cemetery,  by  the  Free  and  Accepted  Order 
of  Masons.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  impressive  ceremonies 
the  company  returned  to  the  tent  on  Chelsea  Parade,  where 
the  Hon.  John  A.  Rockwell  delivered  an  oration  on  the 
Life  and  Times  of  Mason.  The  situation  of  the  stone  was 
almost  from  the  first  regarded  as  unfortunate,  for,  as 
intimated  in  Mr.  Rockwell's  address,  the  expectation  had 
been  that  a  suitable  monument  would  mark  the  spot  in 
the  most  ancient  burying  ground,  on  the  road  from  Nor- 
wich Town  to  Bean  Hill,  where  Major  Mason  was  buried. 
The  stone  seems  to  have  been  forgotten;  at  any  rate,  it 
disappeared  from  Yantic  cemetery.  Soon  after  the  celebra- 
tion it  was  voted  that  a  balance  of  about  three  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  dollars  ($337.91)  remaining  with  the  executive 
committee  should  be  applied  to  a  fund  for  the  monument. 
No  further  action  was  taken,  however,  for  twelve  years, 
when,  in  1871,  John  T.  Wait,  James  M.  Meech,  and  John 
L.  Devotion  were  appointed  to  superintend  the  erection  of 


THOMAS    LEFFINGWELL    MONUMENT.  35 

such  a  monument  as  they  might  deem  appropriate.  Under 
their  direction  a  granite  monument  was  erected  at  a  cost 
of  six  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  on  the  site  of  the  old  Post 
and  Gager  burying  ground,  on  land  of  Lyman  W.  Lee 
which  was  purchased  for  the  purpose,  and  the  committee 
and  their  associates  were  incorporated  by  the  state  legis- 
lature in  1871  as  the  "Mason  Monument  Association,"  with 
perpetual  succession,  and  authority  to  take  charge  of 
certain  funds  remaining  on  hand,  and  to  watch  over  and 
preserve  the  monument.  The  names  of  the  original  cor- 
porators are  recorded  on  page  709  of  Miss  Caulkins's 
history,  edition  of  1874. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Association,  May  27,  1909,  Amos  A. 
Browning,  Barzillai  P.  Bishop,  Guy  B.  Dolbeare,  William 
C.  Gilman,  Frederic  P.  Gulliver,  Bela  P.  Learned,  A.  W. 
Dickey,  Frederick  L.  Osgood,  John  F.  Parker,  Gilbert  S. 
Raymond,  Beriah  G.  Smith,  Newton  P.  Smith,  Edwin  A. 
Tracy,  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Henry  G.  Peck,  Charles  R. 
Gallup,  Costello  Lippitt,  Charles  S.  Holbrook,  John  P. 
Huntington,  and  John  C.  Morgan  were  elected  members  of 
the  corporation ;  and,  at  a  subsequent  meeting,  a  president 
and  six  directors  were  elected  and  authorized  to  have  the 
monument  and  ground  put  in  order  before  the  quarter 
millennial  celebration.  This  was  done  accordingly. 

The  Thomas  Leffingwell  Monument. 

The  Connecticut  Society  of  the  Colonial  Dames  of 
America,  in  November,  1898,  erected  a  cairn,  a  cone-shaped 
pile  of  stones  suggesting  by  its  form  an  Indian  wigwam, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Thames  river,  four  miles  below 
Norwich,  to  mark  the  spot  known  as  the  "chair  of  Uncas," 
to  which  the  intrepid  Lieutenant  Thomas  Leffingwell 
brought  in  a  boat,  by  night,  from  Saybrook,  supplies  of 
beef,  corn,  and  peas  for  the  relief  of  the  Mohegans  when 
they  were  besieged  in  their  Fort  Shantok,  and  were  reduced 
almost  to  starvation  by  the  hostile  Narragansetts.  Major 
Bela  P.  Learned,  in  a  short  address,  presented  Arthur 
Leffingwell  Shipman,  a  descendant  of  Lieutenant  Thomas 


36  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

Leffingwell,  as  the  orator  of  the  day.  When  the  flag,  cover- 
ing the  cairn,  was  removed  by  Miss  Mary  Learned,  also 
a  direct  descendant  of  Leffingwell,  assisted  by  Lloyd  Gray, 
a  lad  of  six  years,  said  to  be  the  youngest  descendant  of 
Uncas,  the  following  inscription  was  disclosed :  "Here  was 
the  Fort  of  Uncas,  Chief  of  the  Mohegans  and  Friend  of 
the  English.  Here,  in  1645,  when  besieged  by  the  Nar- 
ragansetts,  he  was  relieved  by  the  bravery  of  Lieut.  Thomas 
Leffingwell." 

Parks  in  Norwich. 

"The  proprietors  of  the  common  land  in  the  township 
of  Norwich"  in  1729  did  wisely  "agree,  vote  and  grant  by 
a  large  majority  that  the  meeting  house  plain  shall  be  and 
remain  to  be  and  lye  common  for  publick  use  for  the  whole 
town  forever  without  alteration."  Similar  action  was  taken 
at  the  same  time  in  regard  to  the  plain  at  Bean  Hill,  and 
from  that  day  to  this  no  encroachments  of  any  kind  have 
been  tolerated  at  either  place. 

Chelsea  Parade. 

Appreciating  the  value  of  such  open  spaces,  three 
public-spirited  citizens,  Thomas  Fanning,  Joseph  Perkins, 
and  Joshua  Lathrop,  in  1797  gave  to  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  town  the  land  now  known  as  the  Chelsea  Parade,  "for 
the  use  and  purpose  of  a  public  parade  or  open  walk,  to  be 
unencumbered  with  any  kind  of  building  or  nuisance  what- 
ever." To  commemorate  this  gift,  many  years  later,  Gen. 
Alfred  Perkins  Rockwell  and  Dr.  John  A.  Rockwell,  grand- 
sons of  Joseph  Perkins,  placed  a  granite  boulder  near  the 
southeast  corner  of  the  parade,  with  a  bronze  plate  bearing 
an  inscription  in  the  following  words : 

"Chelsea  Parade — given  to  the — Town  of  Norwich — 
for  the  use  and  purpose  of — a  public  parade  or  open  walk 
by —  Thomas  Fanning — Joseph  Perkins — Joshua  Lathrop 
— April  5,  1797 — Norwich  Book  of  Deeds,  No.  28 — Pages 
367,  368  and  369." 


PARKS.  37 

The  bronze  tablet  was  taken  away  in  1904,  probably 
by  a  passing  stranger — no  Norwich  man  would  have  been 
guilty  of  such  vandalism — but  Dr.  Rockwell  generously 
caused  the  original  inscription  to  be  carved  on  the  boulder, 
which,  it  may  be  hoped,  will  be  a  "monument  more  lasting 
than  bronze." 

The  Little  Plain  and  Franklin  Street  Park. 

Fourteen  years  later,  in  1811,  Hezekiah  Perkins  and 
Jabez  Huntington,  following  the  example  of  the  donors  of 
the  Chelsea  Parade,  gave  to  the  city,  on  condition  that  it 
should  be  used  only  as  a  park,  the  smaller  tract  at  the 
junction  of  Broadway  and  Union  street,  which  had  been 
the  property  of  Col.  Christopher  Leffingwell  and  is  now 
known  as  the  Little  Plain. 

In  June,  1859,  at  the  suggestion  of  Levi  Hart  Goddard, 
a  member  of  the  Court  of  Common  Council,  the  city  pur- 
chased for  $700,  from  Avery  Smith  and  Horace  Walker, 
the  triangular  piece  of  land  at  the  intersection  of  Franklin 
street  with  the  Old  Providence  Road,  and  agreed  with  the 
grantors  to  lay  out  the  same  as  a  public  park,  to  be  held 
forever  as  such,  and  to  fence  it  and  plant  trees,  and  to 
keep  it  ever  after  in  proper  repair.  This  has  now  become 
a  valuable  resting  place  for  the  weary,  and  a  play  ground 
for  young  children.  At  about  the  same  time  the  pro- 
prietors of  Laurel  Hill  also  reserved  a  shady  green  breath- 
ing place  in  that  attractive  part  of  the  city. 

Meeting  House  Rocks. 

In  1906  Willis  D.  Perkins  presented  to  the  Norwich 
Rural  Association  an  acre  of  land  on  the  top  of  the  Meeting 
House  Rocks,  thus  securing  that  picturesque,  historic  spot 
for  all  time  from  danger  of  destruction.  Subsequently  the 
First  Congregational  Church,  enabled  by  two  members  of 
the  Rural  Association,  removed  some  unsightly  shops 
clustered  at  the  foot  of  the  rocks,  and  an  old  building  owned 
by  Miss  Carolyn  A.  Sterry  was  also  removed  by  her 


38  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

generosity.  The  precipitous  front  of  the  rocks  thus  opened 
to  view  from  base  to  summit,  became  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  conspicuous  landmarks  in  the  town. 

Lowthorpe  Meadows. 

In  1907  Emily  Serena  Oilman  and  Louisa  Oilman  Lane, 
"in  consideration  of  their  love  and  good-will  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Norwich,  and  in  memory  of  their  sister 
Maria  Perit  Oilman  and  of  their  Lathrop  ancestry,"  con- 
veyed to  trustees  about  twelve  acres  of  land  on  Washington 
street,  opposite  the  Coit  Elms,  to  be  kept  as  a  free  open 
space  for  the  public  good,  to  be  unencumbered  by  dwelling 
houses,  barns,  or  any  nuisance  whatever,  "as  a  pleasant 
place  of  recreation  for  the  people  of  Norwich  forever,"  and 
to  be  known  as  the  Lowthorpe  Meadows.  All  the  Lathrops 
of  Norwich  are  descendants  of  the  Rev.  John  Lothrop  of 
Lowthorpe,  England;  hence,  the  significance  of  the  name, 
Lowthorpe  Meadows. 

The  value  of  all  these  different  "pleasant  places"  for 
the  purposes  designated — this  chain  of  little  parks  extend- 
ing from  Bean  Hill  to  Laurel  Hill,  each  unique  in  its  way 
and  of  increasing  usefulness — cannot  be  estimated  by  their 
present  worth,  but  it  will  inevitably  be  enhanced  with  each 
succeeding  year. 

Mohegan  Park. 

The  park  system  of  Norwich  was  crowned  in  June, 
1906,  by  the  acquisition  of  about  two  hundred  acres  of 
natural  woodland  in  the  center  of  the  city,  the  free  gift  of 
the  owners  of  the  property,  whose  names  are  here  recorded 
as  among  the  great  benefactors  of  the  city:  Dr.  John  A. 
Rockwell,  the  family  of  the  Rev.  Leonard  W.  Bacon,  Mrs. 
Henry  L.  Reynolds,  Gen.  Edward  Harland,  J.  Hunt  Smith, 
Charles  Bard,  the  Misses  Edith  M.  and  Fannie  R.  Bliss,  Mrs. 
Henry  R.  Bond.  At  the  same  time  the  city  made  an  appro- 
priation of  $7,500  for  the  construction  of  two  approaches, 
and  for  the  purchase  of  Spaulding's  pond  within  the  park. 


INDUSTRIES.  39 

The  natural  lay  of  the  land,  the  varied  surface,  the  rocky 
cliffs,  the  well  grown  forest  trees,  and  the  broad  lake  have 
enabled  the  commissioners,  by  strict  economy  and  good 
taste,  to  utilize  the  small  annual  appropriation  hitherto 
made  by  the  city  to  the  greatest  possible  advantage  for 
the  needs  and  pleasures  of  all  classes  in  the  community. 

It  was  proposed  that  the  park  should  bear  the  name 
of  Dr.  Rockwell,  but  he  declined  the  honor,  and  at  his 
suggestion  the  appropriate  name  Mohegan  Park  was 
adopted.  The  commissioners  in  1909  were  Joseph  T. 
Fanning,  William  A.  Norton,  the  Rev.  Neilson  Poe  Carey, 
Henry  F.  Parker,  Henry  A.  Tirrell,  and  Dr.  P.  H.  Harriman. 
They  serve  without  compensation,  and  the  majority  of  them 
have  been  in  office  from  the  beginning. 

Fortunate,  indeed,  above  all  others,  is  the  city  of  Nor- 
wich in  the  possession  of  a  truly  rural  woodland  park  within 
its  limits,  of  such  extent  and  so  easily  accessible  from  every 
side — "common  pleasures,  where  all  the  people  and  their 
heirs  forever,  may  walk  abroad  and  recreate  themselves." 

Industries  of  Norwich. 

The  statistics  of  the  Norwich  Board  of  Trade  show 
that  in  1909  the  amount  of  capital  invested  in  manufactures 
and  the  jobbing  trades  was  approximately  twenty-eight 
million  dollars,  and  that  there  were  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  different  manufacturing  industries.  It  is  mani- 
festly impossible  therefore  in  the  limits  of  these  introduc- 
tory pages  to  allude  to  even  one  tenth  of  them,  but  it  may 
be  noted  that  the  manufacture  of  cotton,  begun  at  an  early 
period  has  been  continued  and  extended  by  the  Falls  and 
Shetucket  companies,  and  the  Totokett  company  at  Occum, 
and  still  more  by  the  great  Ponemah  mill,  managed  by 
John  Eccles  as  agent  and  superintendent.  It  is  said  to  be 
one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the  largest  cotton  mill  in  the 
United  States,  and  is  situated  at  the  village  of  Taftville, 
which  sprang  into  existence  as  a  result  of  the  development 
of  the  water  power  of  the  Shetucket  river.  This  was  due 
in  great  measure  to  the  sagacity  of  Moses  Pierce,  who  was 


4O  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

also  largely  interested  in  the  Ashland  cotton  mill,  and  in 
the  Aspinook  company  of  Jewett  City,  now  under  the  man- 
agement of  Oliver  L.  Johnson.  Mr.  Pierce  was  one  of  the 
most  useful  and  enterprising  citizens  of  Norwich,  where  he 
died  in  1900,  at  the  age  of  ninety-two  years.  The  Norwich 
Bleaching  company,  of  which  Capt.  Erastus  Williams  was 
the  first  president,  was  established  by  Mr.  Pierce,  and  was 
succeeded  by  the  United  States  Finishing  company,  which 
conducts  at  Greeneville  a  business  of  great  importance  in 
calendering  cotton  fabrics. 

The  Yantic  Woolen  Mill, 

formerly  a  cotton  mill,  came  into  the  possession  of  Capt. 
Erastus  Williams  in  1824.  He  conducted  the  business 
successfully  during  his  active  business  life,  and  in  1862  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  E.  Winslow  Williams.  The  mill  was 
totally  destroyed  by  fire  in  1865,  but  by  indomitable 
energy  and  industry  Mr.  Williams  caused  a  new  and  larger 
mill  of  granite  to  be  built  and  completed  within  twelve 
months  on  the  same  site.  After  his  death  in  1888  his  son, 
Winslow  Tracy  Williams,  became  the  treasurer  and  active 
manager,  and  principal  owner  and,  subsequently,  the 
president  of  the  concern,  which  had  been  incorporated  in 
1877  as  the  Yantic  Woolen  company.  During  his  admin- 
istration the  mill  has  been  enlarged,  and  the  village  of 
Yantic  has  been  improved  by  the  erection  of  Grace 
(Episcopal)  Church,  a  granite  building  for  the  Yantic  Fire 
Engine  company  and  for  social  purposes,  and  a  handsome 
stone  bridge,  whose  arches  span  the  river  to  the  driveway 
which  leads  to  Rockclyffe,  the  residence  of  Mr.  Williams, 
on  high  ground  overlooking  the  orderly  village,  the 
meadows,  and  the  winding  river. 

The  A.  H.  Hubbard  Company, 

the  legitimate  successor  of  Christopher  Leffingwell  and 
Andrew  Huntington,  pioneer  paper  makers  of  Norwich,  has 
had  a  long  and  honorable  history  of  nearly  a  hundred  years 


INDUSTRIES.  41 

since  its  establishment  by  Russell  and  Amos  Hallam 
Hubbard,  first  at  the  Falls  and  later  at  Greeneville.  Its 
business  is  now  conducted,  in  the  third  and  fourth  genera- 
tion from  its  foundation,  by  Charles  L.  Hubbard  as  presi- 
dent and  his  son  James  L.  Hubbard  as  secretary. 

Did  space  permit  other  examples  might  be  named  of 
industries  that  were  established  long  before  1859,  and  have 
been  continued  to  the  present  day ;  but  attention  must  now 
be  turned  to  industries  that  have  come  into  existence  within 
the  last  half  century. 

The  Norwich  Nickel  and  Brass  Company, 
of  which  Gen.  William  A.  Aiken  is  the  president,  and  Edwin 
A.  Tracy,  the  treasurer  and  general  manager,  carries  on 
a  large  business  in  manufacturing  by  electric  power  an 
immense  variety  of  metal  fixtures  for  interior  display,  in 
a  modern  building  of  the  best  type  of  factory  construction, 
on  Chestnut  street. 

Fire  Arms. 

Norwich  has  long  been  famous  for  its  manufacture  of 
fire  arms,  and  the  Hopkins  &  Allen  Arms  company,  rising 
Phenix-like  from  its  ashes  after  the  destruction  of  its 
property  by  fire  in  1900,  has  continued  its  business  in  a 
five-story  building  covering  an  entire  square  on  Franklin 
street,  the  president  in  1909  being  Arthur  H.  Brewer. 

Crescent  Fire  Arms  Company. 

This  important  industry,  of  comparatively  recent  date, 
is  extensively  engaged  in  manufacturing  shot  guns  in  the 
Industrial  building  on  Falls  avenue,  Central  Wharf.  The 
president  is  Henry  H.  Gallup. 

The  J.  B.  Martin  Company. 

Among  newer  industries  of  importance  is  the  J.  B. 
Martin  company's  large  establishment  for  manufacturing 
velvet,  situated  on  the  Lisbon  road  near  Taftville ;  and  also 
the  M.  J.  Green  silk  mill  on  South  Golden  street,  which  is 
now  controlled  by  the  Brainerd  and  Armstrong  company. 


42  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

The  John  T.  Young  Boiler  Company, 

with  the  assistance  of  members  of  the  Board  of  Trade  and 
a  gift  of  land  on  Falls  avenue,  has  successfully  begun  an 
enterprise  that  promises  to  be  of  great  importance. 

The   Norwich   Compressed   Air   Power    Company 
established  near  Taftville  in  1902,  at  a  large  cost,  a  plant 
of  great  magnitude  for  transmitting  power  through  a  six- 
teen inch  pipe  to  Norwich  for  all  mechanical  operations. 
This  plant  is  the  first  of  the  kind  built  in  this  country. 

The  Uncas  Paper  Company, 

at  its  large  plant  at  Thamesville,  does  a  large  business  in 
manufacturing  paper  board. 

The  Hydro  Electric  Plant  of  the  Uncas  Power  Company, 
practically  a  Norwich  concern  though  beyond  the  town 
limits,  by  the  current  sent  over  its  transmission  line,  nearly 
eleven  miles  long,  from  its  dam  on  the  Shetucket  river 
furnishes  power  for  the  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Department 
of  the  city  of  Norwich. 

The  Chelsea  File  Works, 

established  by  Henry  L.  Butts,  manufactures  hand  punched 
and  cut  files  in  many  different  forms. 

The  McCrum-Howell  Company 

has  a  great  foundry  on  the  west  side  of  the  Thames  river 
for  the  manufacture  of  stoves  and  heating  apparatus. 

These  various  manufacturing  industries,  but  few  out 
of  many  that  might  be  named,  are  illustrations  of  the  fact 
that  the  advantages  afforded  by  the  immense  water  power 
of  Norwich  and  its  facilities  for  transportation  are  appre- 
ciated by  old  settlers  and  new  comers  as  well,  who  have 
found  it  a  good  place  to  come  to  and  a  good  place  to  stay 
in.  This  development  of  manufacturing  interests  in  the 
last  fifty  years  indicates  greater  progress  than  in  any  other 
fifty  years  in  the  town's  history. 


PUBLIC  IMPROVEMENTS.  43 

Public  Improvements. 

In  the  course  of  fifty  years  Norwich  has  seen  many 
"justifiable  domicides,"  but  not  one  has  caused  a  moment's 
regret.  Norwich  never  had  at  any  time  such  fine  examples 
of  domestic  architecture,  "colonial,"  so-called,  as  may  still 
be  seen  in  the  sea-port  towns  of  Salem  and  Portsmouth, 
and  all  of  the  oldest  houses,  like  the  people  who  dwelt  in 
them,  having  served  their  day  and  generation,  have 
quietly  passed  away.  Norwich  is  still  without  any  great 
landed  estates  or  very  costly  mansions,  but  her  citizens 
have  always  been  justly  proud  of  their  unpretentious  homes, 
indicating  comfort,  refinement,  prosperity,  and  domestic 
happiness.  The  number  of  such  dwellings  has  multiplied 
remarkably  in  the  last  twenty  years  in  all  parts  of  the  town 
that  are  easily  accessible  by  street  cars,  notably,  on  the 
west  side,  on  Laurel  Hill,  Lamb's  Hill,  and  upper  Washing- 
ton street. 

In  1882,  Leffingwell  Row,  sometimes  called  "the 
long  shop,"  built  by  Christopher  Leffingwell  about  one 
hundred  years  before,  and  the  large  red  store  adjoin- 
ing, near  the  fork  of  the  roads  opposite  the  residence  of 
Gen.  Edward  Harland,  were  destroyed  by  fire.  The  family 
of  Benjamin  Huntington,  living  in  the  adjacent  Leffingwell 
house,  caused  the  land  below  to  be  graded  and  terraced,  and 
thus  opened  a  charming  view,  the  only  view  of  the  Yantic 
river  that  may  be  had  from  any  point  on  the  main  road 
between  the  southern  part  of  Washington  street  and  the 
bridge  below  Yantic.  Some  years  later  Gen.  Harland 
bought  the  ruinous  old  house  on  the  corner  of  Harland  road 
and  Washington  street,  originally  the  home  of  Thomas 
Leffingwell,  and  afterwards  known  as  the  Edgerton  house, 
and  annihilated  it.  Improvements  projected  with  great 
enthusiasm  by  Henry  Harland,  the  lamented  nephew  of 
General  Harland,  left  the  long  slope  of  Sentry  Hill  and  the 
ancestral  family  residence  free  from  obstructions.  This 
improvement,  and  that  of  the  Huntington  property  oppo- 
site, have  contributed  more  than  anything  else,  perhaps, 
for  the  betterment  of  the  appearance  of  this  section  of 


44  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

the  town.  A  few  rods  farther  north,  Dr.  Lathrop's  drug 
store,  where  Benedict  Arnold  learned  his  trade,  has  quietly 
disappeared,  and  here  it  may  be  mentioned  for  the  infor- 
mation of  coming  antiquarians,  that  they  will  never  find 
a  trace  of  the  old  buildings,  nor  of  the  house  wherein 
Arnold  was  born,  for  it  was  utterly  demolished  nearly 
sixty  years  ago. 

Norwich  has  lost  three  church  buildings  since  1859, 
the  Sachem  street  church,  built  in  1831 ;  the  Baptist  church, 
a  frame  building  on  Broadway  where  the  Central  building 
now  stands,  and  the  Universalist  church  on  Main  street. 
It  has  gained,  among  other  new  edifices,  the  Park  church, 
with  its  Osgood  Memorial  Parish  house,  erected  by  Mrs. 
H.  H.  Osgood  in  memory  of  her  husband ;  the  Trinity 
Methodist  church,  on  Main  street;  St.  Andrew's  Episcopal 
zhurch,  at  Greeneville;  Grace  Church,  Yantic;  the  First 
Baptist  church,  on  West  Main  street ;  the  Central  Baptist, 
on  Union  Square;  the  Taftville  Congregational  church; 
the  Swedish  Lutheran,  on  Golden  street ;  the  Universalist 
church  on  Broadway,  now  known  (in  1911)  as  the  Church 
of  the  Good  Shepherd;  the  Sacred  Heart  Roman  Catholic 
church,  Norwich  Town;  St.  Joseph's  (Polish)  Roman 
Catholic  church,  Cliff  street;  and  St.  Patrick's  Roman 
Catholic  church  on  Broadway.  This  last  is  specially  note- 
worthy, not  only  because  it  is  the  largest  and  most  impres- 
sive church  building  in  Norwich  and  ministers  to  the 
religious  wants  of  the  largest  congregation,  but  because  in 
1911  it  was  entirely  freed  from  debt  by  the  exertions  of  the 
rector,  the  Rev.  Hugh  Treanor,  and  was  solemnly  conse- 
crated by  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese. 

Some  important  landmarks  have  disappeared  and  new 
buildings  occupy  their  places ;  among  them  the  old  town 
hall  on  Church  street  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1865. 
A  new  building  for  the  purposes  of  the  town  of  Norwich, 
the  city  of  Norwich,  and  the  county  of  New  London,  erected 
and  completed  at  their  expense  in  1873,  stands  in  a  com- 
manding position  on  Union  Square,  where  its  appearance 
by  no  means  suggests  that  it  has  already  attained  a  greater 


PUBLIC  IMPROVEMENTS.  45 

age  than  that  of  its  predecessor.     A  large  extension  was 
built  in  1909  for  the  law  library,  and  the  enlarged  town  hall. 


Shannon  Building. 

The  Norwich  bank,  a  quaint  little  building,  having  a 
portico  with  four  wooden  columns,  stood  for  sixty-six  years 
in  the  most  conspicuous  situation  in  the  city,  on  the  corner 
of  Main  and  Shetucket  streets,  until  1889,  when  the  bank 
honorably  discharged  all  its  liabilities  and  retired  from 
business.  The  building,  with  some  adjoining  property, 
was  then  acquired  by  James  B.  Shannon,  who  erected  a 
commodious  five-story  building  for  business  purposes. 
This  was  destroyed  by  a  disastrous  fire  in  1908.  Undis- 
mayed by  his  heavy  loss  Mr.  Shannon  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  erect  a  larger  and  more  costly  building  for  stores 
and  offices  on  the  same  site.  It  was  the  first  absolutely  fire- 
proof structure  ever  erected  in  Norwich,  and  it  not  only 
protects  its  own  occupants,  but  would  be  an  effectual  barrier 
in  case  of  fire  in  the  adjacent  buildings.  This  and  other 
buildings  erected  by  Mr.  Shannon  are  monuments  to  his 
enterprise. 

Among  the  noteworthy  public  buildings  of  recent 
years,  in  addition  to  those  named,  are  the  Broad  street 
school,  the  Laurel  Hill  school,  and  the  enlarged  Central 
school  district  building  on  Broadway,  the  Broadway 
theater,  which  compares  favorably  with  theaters  in  larger 
cities,  and  the  Masonic  Temple.  The  corner  stone  of  this 
stately  building  was  laid  with  impressive  ceremonies  on 
July  3,  1893,  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Most  Ancient  and 
Honorable  Fraternity  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 
Arthur  H.  Brewer,  the  president  of  the  Masonic  Temple 
corporation,  in  an  introductory  speech,  referred  felicitously 
to  the  immediate  environment  of  the  new  building — the 
church  on  one  side,  and  that  powerful  engine  of  modern 
civilization,  the  public  press,  on  the  other,  and,  in  near 
proximity,  the  refining  and  educational  influences  of  the 
public  school,  the  free  library,  the  dramatic  stage,  and  also 


46  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

the  court  house,  representing  the  majesty  of  the  law.  The 
principal  historical  address  was  delivered  by  Charles  E. 
Dyer. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association's  building,  the 
St.  Mary's  Total  Abstinence  and  Benevolent  Society's 
building,  and  the  Wauregan  House  extension,  all  on  lower 
Broadway,  the  State  Armory  on  McKinley  avenue,  built 
in  1903,  the  Norwich  Bulletin  company's  building  on  Frank- 
lin street,  the  United  States  post  office  built  in  1905,  the 
Central  Vermont  railroad  station,  and  the  New  York  and 
New  Haven  railroad  station,  all  these  are  important  addi- 
tions to  the  architectural  features  of  the  city. 

There  are  few  cities  of  the  size  of  Norwich  that  can 
point  to  such  a  group  of  modern  bank  buildings  as  may  be 
seen  in  "Bankers'  Row,"  where,  as  long  ago  as  1863,  the 
Norwich  Savings  Society,  the  Thames  National  bank,  and 
the  Chelsea  Savings  bank  erected  a  large  building  for 
their  own  use,  and  for  offices.  In  1895,  the  Norwich  Savings 
Society,  finding  its  quarters  too  limited,  built  a  banking 
house  worthy  of  its  reputation,  on  the  corner  of  Main 
street  and  Broadway,  and  maintains  in  connection  with  it 
a  fire  and  burglar  proof  safe  deposit  department.  The  presi- 
dent is  Charles  Bard,  and  the  treasurer,  Costello  Lippitt. 

The  Shannon  building  fire  in  1908  destroyed  the  build- 
ings of  the  other  banks  just  named,  and  drove  them  into 
temporary  habitations.  The  Thames  bank  rebuilt  on  the 
same  site  a  modern  fire-proof  building  thoroughly  equipped 
with  every  requisite  for  its  business  and  the  accommodation 
of  its  customers.  This  institution  has  prospered  from  its 
foundation  in  1825.  The  president  is  Willis  A.  Briscoe  and 
the  cashier  and  active  manager  is  Col.  Charles  W.  Gale. 

Other  banks  on  Shetucket  street  are  the  First  National, 
the  Uncas  National,  and  the  Thames  Loan  and  Trust  com- 
pany, and  on  Main  street  are  the  Merchants  National  bank, 
founded  in  1833,  and  the  Dime  Savings  bank. 

After  the  fire  the  Chelsea  Savings  bank  purchased  the 
Universalist  church  property  at  the  junction  of  Main  and 
Cliff  streets,  and  has  now  completed  (1911)  a  remarkably 


NORWICH  FREE  ACADEMY.  47 

fine  building  of  classical  architecture  and  fire-proof  con- 
struction, furnished  with  all  modern  appliances  for  the  trans- 
action of  its  business.  The  president  is  Gen.  Edward  Har- 
land,  and  the  treasurer,  Charles  B.  Chapman. 


The  Norwich  Free  Academy. 

Reference  has  been  made  on  a  preceding  page  to  the 
progress  of  the  Academy  as  shown  by  the  number  of  its 
scholars.  Durjng  the  celebration  in  1909  the  original  build- 
ing, which  had  served  for  more  than  fifty  years,  was  being 
replaced  by  a  larger  structure,  severely  plain  in  its  exterior, 
but  admirably  adapted  within  for  the  purposes  of  the 
school.  The  Manual  Training  department  had  already  been 
established  in  1895  in  a  well  equipped  and  well  arranged 
building  costing  about  $12,000,  which  was  contributed  in 
large  part  by  the  alumni.  The  Slater  Memorial  building, 
the  gift  of  William  A.  Slater  in  1886,  in  honor  of  his  father, 
John  Fox  Slater,  contains  the  Slater  Museum,  a  large 
auditorium  containing  many  portraits  and  the  Peck  library. 
The  Art  gallery,  annexed  to  it,  was  founded  by  the  bequest 
of  Col.  Charles  A.  Converse.  These  four  buildings  and 
the  residence  of  the  principal  of  the  Academy  are  ideally 
well  situated  on  a  broad  campus  extending  to  the  Rockwell 
woods. 

The  foundation  of  the  Academy  was  due  to  the  zeal 
of  the  Rev.  Doctor  John  P.  Gulliver,  who  persuaded  citizens 
of  Norwich  to  contribute  $80,000  for  the  purpose.  It  is 
to  be  regretted  that  the  long  list  of  the  original  subscribers 
and  subsequent  benefactors  cannot  be  reprinted  here.  It 
included  such  names  as  William  A.  Buckingham,  Russell 
Hubbard,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Williams,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
William  P.  Greene,  Moses  Pierce,  Henry  B.  Norton,  and 
many  others  equally  worthy  of  mention.  The  spirit  kindled 
by  Dr.  Gulliver's  enthusiasm  is  illustrated  by  Mr.  Hubbard's 
unsolicited  offer  to  give  "one  tenth  of  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars  for  a  free  academy,"  and  by  Mr.  Greene's  response, 
"I  will  give  one  tenth  of  seventy-five  thousand  dollars,  or 


48  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

one  tenth  of  any  other  sum  you  can  raise."  The  funds 
acquired  by  the  academy  have  come  solely  from  the 
generosity  of  enlightened  public  spirited  citizens,  and  would 
suffice  to  make  the  institution  literally  free  for  a  limited 
number  of  pupils,  as  it  is  in  name,  but,  obviously,  if  the 
number  of  pupils  shall  continue  to  increase,  the  academy 
must  receive  a  larger  endowment,  or  else  the  town,  until  it 
shall  establish  and  support  a  free  public  high  school,  must 
relieve  parents  from  the  necessity  of  paying  a  part  of  the 
cost  of  instruction,  an  arrangement  distinctly  advantageous 
to  the  town  rather  than  to  the  academy  which  is  independ- 
ent of  political  control. 

The  principals  of  the  academy  have  been  Elbridge 
Smith,  William  Hutchison,  and  Robert  Porter  Keep,  all  of 
whom  have  departed  this  life,  and  Henry  A.  Tirrell,  who 
succeeded  Dr.  Keep  in  1903.  Under  these  honored  instruc- 
tors the  academy  has  fulfilled  Dr.  Gulliver's  hope  that  it 
might  become  "a  University  of  Secondary  Education." 

The  mayor  of  Norwich  doubtless  remembered  the  time 
honored  maxim,  "say  nothing  but  good  of  the  dead,"  when 
he  humorously  said,  "the  best  citizens  of  Norwich  are  in  the 
grave-yard."  However  true  that  may  be  it  is  nevertheless 
certain  that  they  did  not  always  escape  the  breath  of 
calumny  in  their  lifetime.  It  would  be  well  if  the  applica- 
tion of  the  maxim  were  so  extended  that  honor  to  whom 
honor  is  due  should  not  be  withheld  from  the  living,  for 
there  are  still  worthy  descendants  of  the  old  stock  who 
reflect  honor  upon  their  ancestors  but  have  not  received  the 
recognition  they  deserve.  The  good  work  they  are  doing 
to-day  will  live  after  them. 

But,  happily,  there  is  one  son  of  Norwich  who  will  be 
gratefully  remembered  so  long  as  his  beneficent  purposes 
shall  be  fulfilled  in  the  Backus  Hospital  and  in  the  Slater 
Memorial,  and  who  has  the  happiness,  not  accorded  to  all 
men,  of  receiving  while  he  is  living  the  enthusiastic  en- 
comiums of  his  townsmen  who  participate  in  the  benefits 
conferred  by  the  munificence  of  William  A.  Slater. 


MAPLEWOOD   CEMETERY.  49 

Maplewood  Cemetery. 

The  population  of  Yantic  cemetery  had  increased  so 
largely  since  its  consecration  in  1844  that  after  sixty  years 
the  necessity  of  making  provision  for  the  future  was  im- 
perative. Through  divided  councils  the  city  was  so  slow 
to  act  that  a  private  corporation,  the  Norwich  Cemetery 
Association,  was  organized  in  1902  to  meet  the  urgent 
need.  It  bought  a  large  tract  on  the  Salem  Turnpike,  known 
as  the  Osgood  farm,  laid  out  roads,  planted  trees,  and, 
under  the  name  of  the  Maplewood  cemetery,  made  the  place 
beautiful  and  suitable  in  every  way  for  a  burial  place.  By 
the  provisions  of  the  charter  the  ground,  and  every  burial 
lot  and  the  monuments  thereon  will  have  perpetual  care, 
and  after  the  stockholders  shall  have  been  reimbursed  for 
their  investment,  at  cost  and  a  moderate  interest,  the  ceme- 
tery will  become  the  property  of  the  city. 

Norwich,  England. 

It  is  worthy  of  record  in  this  place  that  through  the 
public  newspaper  press  and  the  librarian  of  the  Otis 
Library  occasional  courtesies  have  been  exchanged  for 
many  years  between  the  new  Norwich  in  Connecticut  and 
the  old  Norwich  in  Norfolk,  England,  which  is  regarded  by 
some  whose  dwelling  is  in  the  newer  town  as  their  ancestral 
home.  In  1904  the  honorable  Mayor  of  Norwich,  Con- 
necticut, received  from  the  worshipful  Mayor  of  Norwich, 
England,  as  an  interesting  souvenir,  an  embroidered  cushion 
cover  that  had  been  presented  to  the  Cathedral  in  1651  by 
Thomas  Baret,  the  brother  of  Margaret  Baret  Huntington, 
who  came  to  Saybrook  in  1633,  and  is  the  ancestress  of 
all  the  Huntingtons  in  New  England.  The  whole  story  is 
told  in  the  following  correspondence: 

Guildhall,  Norwich,    loth  January,  1905. 
Dear  Mr.  Mayor: 

I  have  the  honour  to  transmit  in  a  wooden  case  a 
Resolution  which  was  unanimously  passed  by  the  Council 


5O  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

of  this  City  on  the  22nd  November  last,  with  newspapers 
containing  an  account  of  such  meeting;  likewise  the  cushion 
cover  referred  to  in  the  Resolution. 

I  trust  that  the  case  will  arrive  safely,  and  that  the  con- 
tents thereof  will  prove  an  object  of  interest  to  your  Citizens, 
and  remind  them  of  the  old  City  from  which  yours  has  taken 
its  name. 

I  am,  Mr.  Mayor, 

Yours  faithfully, 

Arnold  H.  Miller, 

Town  Clerk. 
The  Worshipful, 

The  Mayor  of  Norwich, 

Connecticut, 
U.  S.  A. 

f"  At  a  Meeting  of  Council  of  the  Mayor,  Alder- 
J  men,  and  Citizens  of  the  City  of  Norwich,  held 
orw      .     |  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  November    one 
I  thousand  nine  hundred  and  four. 

Mr.  Alderman  Wild  moved,  Mr.  Councillor  Hewlett 
seconded  and  it  was  unanimously 

Resolved,  On  the  Report  and  recommendation  of 
the  City  Committee  that  two  of  the  cushions  presented 
to  the  Corporation  by  Thomas  Baret,  Mayor  of  the  City 
in  1651,  for  use  at,  but  not  now  required  at  the  Cathe- 
dral, be  given  one  to  the  Castle  Museum  Committee, 
and  the  other  to  the  Mayor  and  Corporation  of  Nor- 
wich, Connecticut,  U.  S.  A.,  for  preservation  and  exhibi- 
tion in  the  Museum  of  that  City,  and  that  the  Town 
Clerk  be  authorized  to  affix  the  Corporate  Seal  to  this 
Resolution. 

The  Corporate  Seal  of  the  ^ 

Mayor,  Aldermen  and  Citizens 

Arnold  H.  Miller, 
of  the  City  of  Norwich  was  \.  T-          /~i     i 

f  Town  Clerk, 

hereunto  affixed  in  the 

presence  of,  J 


NORWICH,  ENGLAND.  51 

City  Clerk's  Office,  Norwich,  Conn. 

WHEREAS,  The  Council  of  the  Mayor,  Aldermen  and 
Citizens  of  the  City  of  Norwich,  England,  by  resolution 
bearing  date  November  the  twenty-second,  1904,  did,  on 
behalf  of  that  Corporation  present  to  the  Mayor  and  Cor- 
poration of  this  City,  one  of  a  set  of  cushions  presented  to 
the  first  named  Corporation  in  1651  by  its  then  Mayor,  Hon. 
Thomas  Baret,  and  said  gift  has  now  come  into  the  posses- 
sion of  this  Council  for  preservation  and  exhibition, 

Resolved,  That  said  gift  be  and  it  is  hereby  accepted 
in  the  name  and  behalf  of  the  Mayor  and  Corporation  of 
the  City  of  Norwich,  Connecticut,  and 

Resolved,  That  the  same  be  and  hereby  is  perpetually 
loaned  to  the  Norwich  Free  Academy  to  be  by  said  Corpora- 
tion placed  in  the  Slater  Museum  for  preservation  and 
exhibition,  together  with  the  certified  copy  of  the  original 
resolution  of  gift  accompanying  the  same,  and 

Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Council  and  of  the  citizens  here  represented  by  its  member- 
ship are  due  and  are  cordially  extended  to  the  Donors ;  and 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  suitably 
engrossed  be  forwarded  to  the  Mayor,  Aldermen  and  Citi- 
zens of  Norwich,  England,  in  testimony  of  our  apprecia- 
tion of  their  distinguished  consideration. 

Attest:  City  Clerk,  Steven  D.  Moore. 


These  introductory  pages  have  necessarily  dwelt  for  the 
most  part  on  material  things,  but,  although  these  may 
indeed  be  regarded  as  outward,  visible  signs  of  sterling 
virtues  and  inward  graces,  no  adequate  history  of  Norwich 
could  fail  to  commemorate  the  good  people  in  all  walks  of 
life  who  have  made  Norwich  better  because  they  have  lived 


52  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

here,  or  to  comment  on  the  irresistible  influences  that  have 
made  for  righteousness  in  the  community  for  the  last  fifty 
years.  While  it  is  lamentably  true  that  wickedness  and 
vice  exist  and  have  existed,  they  do  not  and  will  not 
prevail,  and  never  was  it  so  true  as  now  that  peace  and 
happiness,  truth  and  justice,  religion  and  piety,  are  here 
firmly  established  for  all  coming  generations. 


The  Quarter  Millennial  Celebration. 

PART  III. 

So  great  was  the  success  of  the  Old  Home  Week 
celebration  in  1901  that  a  wide-spread  disposition  to  make 
it  an  annual  festival  might  have  prevailed  had  not  Gen. 
William  A.  Aiken  and  others  wisely  suggested,  that,  as  the 
Quarter  Millennium  of  Norwich  was  then  in  the  near 
future,  it  might  be  prudent  to  keep  the  supply  of  powder 
dry  for  that  coming  event. 

The  first  official  action  looking  towards  the  celebration 
of  the  dual  anniversaries  of  the  city  and  the  town  was  taken 
by  the  Court  of  Common  Council,  June  12,  1907,  when  on 
the  recommendation  of  Mayor  Charles  F.  Thayer,  presiding, 
it  was  voted  that  the  matter  of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
fifth  anniversary  of  the  city  be  referred  to  the  amusement 
committee. 

The  next  organization  to  take  action  on  the  subject 
was  the  Norwich  Board  of  Trade.  At  a  meeting  of  its 
executive  committee,  February  3,  1908,  President  F.  W. 
Gary  in  the  chair,  it  was  voted  that  the  president  appoint 
an  anniversary  committee  to  confer  with  such  committees 
as  might  be  appointed  by  other  organizations.  The  anniver- 
sary committee  so  appointed  met  March  14,  1908,  and  voted 
to  recommend  to  the  executive  committee  a  celebration 
in  1909  of  the  founding  of  the  town  of  Norwich,  and  further, 
to  arrange  at  once  for  such  a  celebration  by  calling  a  mass 
meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Norwich  for  the  appointment  of 
a  general  committee.  On  March  23,  1908,  the  executive 
committee  accepted  the  report  of  the  anniversary  committee 
and  authorized  it  to  proceed  on  the  lines  suggested.  On 
April  6  the  anniversary  committee  of  the  Board  of  Trade 
and  the  amusement  committee  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Council,  in  joint  meeting,  voted  to  call  a  mass  meeting  of 
citizens  in  accordance  with  the  following  notice: 


54  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Notice ! 

All  residents  of  Norwich  and  vicinity  who  are  interested 
in  commemorating  the  25oth  anniversary  of  the  settlement 
of  the  town  and  the  I25th  anniversary  of  the  incorporation 
of  the  city  are  requested  to  meet  in  the  Town  Hall,  Wednes- 
day, April  8th,  1908,  at  8  o'clock,  p.  m.,  to  make  preliminary 
arrangements  for  the  due  celebration  of  these  events. 

Charles  E.  Chandler,  Henry  Gebrath, 

Winslow  Tracy  Williams,  Geo.  M.  Hyde, 

Charles  W.  Gale,  Charles  D.  Noyes, 

John  Eccles,  Howard  L.  Stanton, 

Frederic  W.  Cary.  Arthur  D.  Lathrop, 

Albert  L.  Potter,  Charles  F.  Thayer. 

Committees  of  Board  of  Trade  and  Common  Council. 

The  meeting  convened  at  the  time  and  place  appointed ; 
and  Edwin  A.  Tracy  was  elected  chairman  and  Gilbert  S. 
Raymond,  secretary.  It  was  voted :  That  it  is  the  sense 
of  this  meeting  that  the  25oth  anniversary  of  the  settlement 
of  the  town  and  the  I25th  anniversary  of  the  incorporation 
of  the  city  should  be  celebrated  in  1909.  It  was  also  voted 
that  a  permanent  committee  of  arrangements  be  appointed 
with  power  to  add  to  its  numbers,  to  appoint  sub-commit- 
tees and  others  for  special  purposes,  and  with  full  power  to 
raise  and  expend  money  and  make  every  arrangement  for 
the  celebration. 

A  nominating  committee  appointed  by  the  chair 
reported  the  names  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  members  as 
a  permanent  committee  of  arrangements,  who  were 
approved  by  the  meeting.  A  complete  list  of  their  names 
follows : 

William  A.  Aiken,  Jonathan  H.  Allen,  M.D.,  John  C. 
Averill,  Wallace  S.  Allis,  Nelson  J.  Ayling,  Leonard  B. 
Almy,  M.D.,  Rev.  J.  J.  Ambot,  Dwight  W.  Avery,  Fitch  L. 
Allen,  Jos.  D.  Aiken,  Willis  Austin,  Geo.  W.  Adams,  Her- 
man Alofsin,  Samuel  Anderson,  Frank  W.Browning,  Horatio 
Bigelow,  John  A.  Brady,  Nathan  L.  Bishop,  B.  P.  Bishop, 


COMMITTEE  OF  ARRANGEMENTS.  55 

Arthur  H.  Brewer,  Charles  Bard,  Willis  A.  Briscoe,  Richard 
Bushnell,  Amos  A.  Browning,  Lucius  Brown,  Frank  T.  Brown, 
George  C.  Butts,  William  F.  Bogue,  Charles  R.  Butts,  Wm.  A. 
Breed,  Wm.  B.  Birge,  Thos.  F.  Burns,  Waterman  R.  Burn- 
ham,  Martin  Burns,  Ellsworth  E.  Baker,  Jacob  C.  Benjamin, 
Rev.  J.  A.  Broden,  Rev.  H.  A.  Beadle  (Franklin),  W.  W. 
Bentley  (Bozrah),  F.  E.  Beckwith,  Albert  H.  Chase,  Rev. 
Xeilson  Poe  Carey,  Frederic  W.  Gary,  Lewis  R.  Church, 
Adams  P.  Carroll,  William  Caruthers,  James  L.  Case,  Patrick 
Cassidy,  M.D.,  Rev.  Joseph  F.  Cobb,  Albert  S.  Comstock, 
Charles  N.  Congdon,  Charles  E.  Chandler,  Felix  Callahan, 
Chas.  J.  Carew,  E.  H.  Crozier,  W.  B.  F.  Cranston,  S.  Ashbel 
Crandall,  Chas.  Billings  Chapman,  M.  J.  Connell  (Lisbon), 
Geo.  A.  Comeau,  Tyler  Cruttenden,  A.  J.  Dawley,  Jeremiah  J. 
Desmond,  Aron  W.  Dickey,  Francis  E.  Dowe,  John  Donovan, 
Charles  B.  Davis  (Franklin),  George  A.  Davis,  Alexander  H. 
Disco,  M.  H.  Donahue  (Baltic),  Henry  B.  Davenport,  Gros- 
venor  Ely,  John  Eccles,  Rev.  G.  H.  Ewing,  Otto  Ernst,  William 
D.  Fitch,  Joseph  T.  Fanning,  John  E.  Fanning,  Calvin  H. 
Frisbie,  John  R.  Fowler,  Charles  W.  Gale,  Henry  H.  Gallup, 
Henry  Gebrath,  S.  Alpheus  Gilbert,  Wm.  C.  Gilman,  James 
Graham,  Gardiner  Greene,  James  Grierson,  Frederic  P. 
Gulliver,  Nathan  S.  Gilbert,  Lemuel  M.  Gilchrist,  Prof.  J.  H. 
George,  Squire  Gregson,  M.  J.  Green,  Alphonso  J.  Grant,  Jacob 
Gordon,  Edw.  W.  Higgins,  John  A.  Hagberg,  Albie  L.  Hale, 
Joseph  Hall,  Joseph  D.  Haviland,  Edward  Harland,  Patrick 
Harriman,  M.D.,  Gilbert  L.  Hewitt,  Michael  C.  Higgins, 
William  F.  Hill,  J.  A.  Hiscox,  C.  Leslie  Hopkins,  Charles 
L.  Hubbard,  Albert  C.  Hatch,  George  M.  Hyde,  Calvin  L. 
Harwood,  Charles  S.  Holbrook,  John  D.  Hall,  John  P. 
Huntington,  George  R.  Hyde,  Michael  J.  Higgins,  Samuel 
G.  Hartshorn  (Franklin),  Curtis  L.  Hazen  (Sprague), 
Frank  E.  Hull  (Sprague),  Chas.  H.  Haskell,  Alexander  C. 
Harkness  (Preston),  Edw.  P.  Hollowell  (Preston),  H.  J. 
Hirsch,  Oliver  L.  Johnson,  Charles  Amos  Johnson,  Raymond 
J.  Jodoin  (Sprague),  A.  B.  Kingsbury,  Rev.  M.  S.  Kaufman, 
Frank  J.  King,  Samuel  Kronig,  George  A.  Keppler,  Rush  W. 
Kimball,  M.D.,  Thos.  J.  Kelly,  Thomas  B.  Linton,  Arthur  D. 


56  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Lathrop,  Bela  P.  Learned,  Charles  B.  Lee,  Herbert  M.  Lerou, 
Frederick  W.  Lester,  Costello  Lippitt,  Francis  J.  Leavens, 
Albert  W.  Lillibridge,  Thurston  B.  Lillibridge,  N.  B.  Lewis, 
M.D.,  Benj.  Lucas  (Preston),  Ira  F.  Lewis  (Griswold), 
Christian  A.  Marx,  John  McWilliams,  E.  Judson  Miner 
(Bozrah),  Timothy  C.  Murphy,  Chief  John  Murphy,  Archi- 
bald Mitchell,  Charles  O.  Murphy,  Jas.  C.  MacPherson, 
John  W.  Mullen,  Jas.  McGrory,  W.  E.  Manning,  John  H. 
Miner  (Bozrah),  William  A.  Norton,  Charles  D.  Noyes,  W. 
Tyler  Olcott,  P.  J.  O'Connor,  Charles  H.  Osgood,  Frederick  L. 
Osgood,  William  H.  Oat,  Albert  L.  Potter,  James  B.  Palmer 
(Lisbon),  William  H.  Palmer,  Henry  F.  Parker,  Angus  Park 
(Sprague),  Arthur  L.  Peale,  George  E.  Parsons,  A.  Walton 
Pearson,  Henry  G.  Peck,  George  E.  Pitcher,  Ira  L.  Peck, 
Joseph  D.  Pfeiffer,  John  Porteous,  Thomas  Potter,  George  S. 
Porter,  John  H.  Perkins,  Rev.  Lewellyn  Pratt,  Edmund  A. 
Prentice,  Frank  H.  Pullen,  Charles  H.  Preston,  Louis  I.  Pratte, 
M.D.,  Alex.  B.  Pendleton  (Bozrah),  Chester  Parkhurst, 
Shepard  B.  Palmer,  Rutherford  C.  Plaut,  Hezekiah  Perkins, 
Chas.  W.  Pearson,  W.  E.  Peck  (Sprague),  John  Quinn 
(Sprague),  Henry  Ruggles,  William  C.  Reynolds,  Rev.  Charles 
H.  Ricketts,  Gilbert  S.  Raymond,  Zebulon  R.  Robbins,  Thomas 

A.  Robinson,   Orman    E.   Ryther,   Woodbury   O.    Rogers, 
Frank     A.     Robinson,     Frank     E.     Robinson     (Griswold), 
Vine  S.   Stetson,  John   H.   Scott,   George   O.   Stead,  James 

B.  Shannon,  Dennis  J.  Shahan,  M.D.,  William  H.  Shields, 
Frank  H.  Smith,  Archibald  S.  Spalding,  Howard  L.  Stan- 
ton,  Henry  J.  Steiner,  Owen  S.  Smith,  Louis  J.  Saxton,  John 
T.  Sullivan,  Clarence  D.  Sevin,  N.  Douglas  Sevin,  Chas.  W. 
Scott,    John    S.    Sullivan    (Bozrah),    William    G.    Tarbox, 
Nicholas  Tarrant,  Charles  F.  Thayer,  John  M.  Thayer,  Henry 
W.  Tibbits,  Witter  K.  Tingley,  M.D.,  Henry  A.  Tirrell,  Edwin 
A.  Tracy,  Rev.  Hugh  Treanor,  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Rev.  W.  T. 
Thayer,   W.    H.   Tift    (Griswold),    Dwight   L.    Underwood, 
Fred   D.   Vergason,   James    H.   Welles,    Charles    D.    White, 
Winslow  Tracy  Williams,  Rev.  Peter  C.  Wright,  Frank  L. 
Woodard,  Otto  E.  Wulf,  Charles  E.  Whitney,  Chas.  W.Wolf 
(Lisbon),  Alfred  A.  Young   (Griswold),  James  M.  Young, 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE.  57 

William    B.    Young,    H.    L.    Yerrington,   John   T.    Young, 
Peter  T.  Young,  Luther  C.  Zabriskie  (Preston). 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  permanent  committee  of 
arrangements,  held  May  i,  1908,  the  following  officers  and 
executive  committee  were  elected:  President,  Charles  F. 
Thayer;  vice-presidents,  Edwin  A.  Tracy,  Winslow  T. 
Williams,  John  Eccles,  John  McWilliams,  Gen.  William  A. 
Aiken,  and  Jeremiah  J.  Desmond;  secretary,  Gilbert  S. 
Raymond ;  assistant  secretary,  William  A.  Breed ;  treasurer, 
Charles  W.  Gale ;  executive  committee,  Dr.  P.  H.  Harriman, 
Arthur  D.  Lathrop,  John  Porteous,  Albert  L.  Potter, 
William  B.  Young,  Henry  A.  Tirrell,  James  B.  Shannon, 
Charles  D.  Noyes,  Timothy  C.  Murphy,  Howard  L.  Stanton, 
and  Albert  S.  Comstock. 

In  these  and  subsequent  proceedings  the  coincidence 
of  the  anniversaries  was  not  forgotten,  but  the  relations 
between  town  and  city  have  always  been  so  intimate,  and 
their  boundaries  have  been  changed  so  many  times — as 
shown  by  the  interesting  series  of  maps  prepared  by  Dr. 
Frederic  P.  Gulliver — that  no  effort  was  made  to  separate 
them  in  the  celebration.  No  Temple  Bar  has  ever 
obstructed  the  progress  of  the  First  Selectman  in  riding 
down  from  his  farm  to  the  town  hall,  nor  has  the  Lord- 
Mayor,  meeting  him  at  the  gate,  proffered  his  sword  in 
token  of  allegiance.  Town  and  city  have  lived  harmoniously 
like  mother  and  daughter  under  one  roof.  The  old  lady  and 
her  selectmen  have  managed  her  side  of  the  house  to  her 
entire  satisfaction,  and  she  is  not  disposed  as  yet  to  give 
up  the  pleasures  and  responsibilities  of  housekeeping  to 
her  strong-minded  daughter,  who  feels  quite  competent  to 
run  the  whole  establishment  in  her  own  way. 

On  June  4,  1908,  the  executive  committee  received  and 
accepted  with  regret  the  resignation  of  Mayor  Thayer  as 
president  of  the  committee  of  arrangements  and  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  executive  committee,  and  thus  lost  the  benefit  of 
his  experience  as  the  moving  spirit  in  the  Old  Home  Week 
celebration.  On  June  17,  Gen.  Edward  Harland  was  elected 


58  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

president  of  the  committee  of  arrangements,  and  Edwin  A. 
Tracy  was  made  chairman,  and  Gilbert  S.  Raymond,  secre- 
tary of  the  executive  committee. 

It  was  voted  that  the  chairman  be  a  member  ex  officio 
of  all  sub-committees,  and  that  William  B.  Young,  Dr. 
P.  H.  Harriman,  Henry  A.  Tirrell,  and  Charles  W.  Gale 
be  a  committee  to  name  members  of  the  various  sub-com- 
mittees. On  October  26,  1908,  Gen.  Edward  Harland  by 
letter  resigned  as  president  of  the  general  committee,  and 
Winslow  Tracy  Williams  was  elected  in  his  place.  At 
subsequent  meetings  the  nominating  committee  reported 
the  names  of  the  various  sub-committees,  which  were  ap- 
proved, and  the  full  list  as  revised  and  completed,  of  officers 
and  members  elected,  here  follows: 

General  Committee  of  250  Members — Winslow  Tracy 
Williams,  president;  Edwin  Avery  Tracy,  John  Eccles, 
John  McWilliams,  William  A.  Aiken,  Jeremiah  J.  Desmond, 
P.  H.  Harriman,  vice-presidents ;  Charles  W.  Gale,  treasurer. 

Executive  Committee — Edwin  Avery  Tracy,  chairman  ; 
Winslow  Tracy  Williams,  vice-chairman ;  Gilbert  S.  Ray- 
mond, secretary;  Grosvenor  Ely,  assistant  secretary;  John 
Eccles,  John  McWilliams,  William  A.  Aiken,  Jeremiah  J. 
Desmond,  P.  H.  Harriman,  Charles  W.  Gale,  Arthur  D. 
Lathrop,  John  Porteous,  William  B.  Young,  Henry  A. 
Tirrell,  James  B.  Shannon,  Charles  D.  Noyes,  Albert  L. 
Potter,  Timothy  C.  Murphy,  Howard  L.  Stanton,  Albert 
S.  Comstock,  Frank  T.  Brown. 

Nominating  Committee — William  B.  Young,  chairman ; 
Dr.  P.  H.  Harriman,  Henry  A.  Tirrell,  Charles  W.  Gale. 

Finance  Committee — Charles  R.  Butts,  chairman ;  Max- 
ton  Holms,  secretary;  Waterman  R.  Burnham,  James  B. 
Shannon,  Frank  L.  Woodard. 

Literary  Exercises  and  Speakers — Charles  E.  Chandler, 
chairman ;  W.  Tyler  Olcott,  secretary ;  William  H.  Shields, 
Rev.  Lewellyn  Pratt,  Rev.  Hugh  Treanor,  Edwin  W. 
Higgins,  John  M.  Thayer,  A.  Walton  Pearson. 


SUB-COMMITTEES.  59 

Printing  and  Publicity — Frederic  W.  Gary,  chairman; 
John  M.  Lee,  secretary;  W.  H.  Oat,  F.  H.  Pullen,  W.  B. 
L.  Cranston,  George  A.  Davis,  Frank  H.  Allen. 

Ways  and  Means — Costello  Lippitt,  chairman;  C. 
Leslie  Hopkins,  secretary;  Charles  Billings  Chapman, 
Charles  H.  Phelps,  James  H.  Welles,  Robert  W.  Perkins, 
Frank  L.  Woodard,  Charles  W.  Gale,  C.  Henry  Osgood, 
Arthur  H.  Brewer,  Charles  L.  Hubbard,  Arthur  J.  Dawley, 
Oliver  L.  Johnson,  Winslow  T.  Williams,  Archibald 
Mitchell,  Charles  D.  White,  John  Eccles,  Henry  H.  Gallup, 
Henry  G.  Peck,  George  H.  Pratt,  James  W.  Semple,  Patrick 
F.  Bray,  George  W.  Davis,  Henry  Gebrath,  Dr.  George 
Thompson,  Dr.  L.  I.  Pratte,  John  A.  Brady,  Albie  L.  Hale, 
Grosvenor  Ety,  Frank  H.  Smith,  Charles  D.  Noyes,  Henry 
W.  Tibbits,  William  F.  Hill,  John  Donovan,  Albert  L. 
Potter. 

Invitation  Committee — William  H.  Shields,  chairman; 
John  P.  Huntington,  secretary;  Bela  P.  Learned,  Wallace 
S.  Allis,  Zebulon  R.  Robbins,  Grosvenor  Ely,  Gilbert  S. 
Raymond,  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Dr.  Patrick  Cassidy,  Charles 
B.  Lee,  Frank  T.  Maples,  F.  J.  Leavens,  Charles  H.  Haskell, 
Miss  Emily  Gilman,  Miss  Ella  A.  Fanning,  Miss  C.  C. 
Gulliver,  Mrs.  B.  P.  Bishop,  Mrs.  Gardiner  Greene,  Mrs. 
William  H.  Shields,  William  B.  Young. 

Programme  Committee — Winslow  T.  Williams,  chair- 
man ;  Grosvenor  Ely,  John  Porteous. 

Amusement  Committee — Nelson  J.  Ayling,  chairman; 
Arthur  L.  Peale,  secretary;  Allyn  L.  Brown,  Walter  M. 
Buckingham,  George  A.  Keppler,  Charles  E.  Case,  Charles 
H.  Preston,  Henry  L.  Bennett,  John  B.  Oat,  Joseph  C. 
Bland,  William  A.  Breed,  John  F.  Byrne,  Ira  W.  Jackson, 
W.  Harry  Jennings,  Dwight  H.  Hough,  Dr.  D.  J.  Shahan, 
James  C.  E.  Leach,  George  P.  Madden. 

Automobile  Parade — Horatio  Bigelow,  chairman ;  John 
L.  Mitchell,  secretary;  Calvin  H.  Frisbie,  James  L.  Hub- 
bard,  Dr.  Charles  Osgood,  W.  Russell  Baird,  Charles  W. 


6O  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

Briggs,  George  W.  Carroll,  Arthur  J.  Dawley,  Chauncey  A. 
Sherman,  Dr.  Witter  K.  Tingley,  M.  B.  Ring,  G.  Everett  Hall, 
Julian  L.  Williams,  John  F.  Rogers,  Calvin  L.  Swan. 

Decorating  Committee — Zebulon  R.  Robbins,  chair- 
man ;  Herbert  L.  Knox,  secretary ;  Otto  E.  Wulf,  S.  Alpheus 
Gilbert,  Frank  W.  Browning,  Norris  S.  Lippitt,  Henry  J. 
Steiner,  Daniel  J.  Hinchey,  Frank  J.  King,  Henry  T.  Nelson, 
Frank  E.  Parker,  John  J.  Somers,  Edward  H.  Tibbits,  E.  A. 
Cudworth,  Dr.  George  A.  Comeau,  Amos  A.  Browning, 
Joseph  W.  Gilbert. 

Fireworks — WTalter  F.  Lester,  chairman ;  Arthur  E. 
Story,  secretary;  Tyler  Cruttenden,  George  A.  Allen, 
William  B.  Young,  Timothy  C.  Murphy,  John  T.  Clark. 

Headquarters  Committee — The  Society  of  the  Founders 
of  Norwich. 

Historical  Committee — Frederic  P.  Gulliver,  William  C. 
Gilman,  Frank  A.  Robinson,  William  B.  Birge,  Jonathan 
Trumbull,  Capt.  L.  R.  Jewett,  Albert  J.  Bailey,  B.  P.  Bishop, 
Adams  P.  Carroll,  Aron  W.  Dickey,  Shepard  B.  Palmer, 
Horace  Rogers,  Albert  W.  Smith. 

Loan  Exhibition — Faith  Trumbull  Chapter,  D.  A.  R., 
Mrs.  Ellen  K.  Bishop,  regent. 

Music  Committee — James  L.  Case,  chairman ;  Frederick 
W.  Lester,  secretary;  Archibald  Mitchell,  Charles  D.  Geer, 
George  A.  Kies,  Eugene  Wallner,  William  F.  Habekotte, 
Ebenezer  Learned  Frank  L.  Farrell,  Arthur  B.  Blackledge, 
Herbert  T.  Miller,  William  B.  Young,  Jr.,  Charles  D. 
Gallup. 

Reception  and  Entertainment  of  Distinguished  Guests 
— Winslow  Tracy  Williams,  chairman ;  William  R.  Jewett, 
secretary;  William  A.  Aiken,  Arthur  H.  Brewer,  Charles 
L.  Hubbard,  Charles  D.  White,  Gardiner  Greene,  Oliver  L. 
Johnson,  Dr.  Leonard  B.  Almy,  Charles  Bard,  Willis  A. 
Briscoe,  Archibald  Mitchell,  Dr.  Patrick  Cassidy,  Frederick 
L.  Osgood,  Henry  F.  Parker,  William  H.  Palmer,  John 


SUB-COMMITTEES.  6l 

C.  Averill,  William  D.  Fitch,  William  A.  Norton,  James  B. 
Shannon. 

Schools  Committee — Henry  A.  Tirrell,  chairman;  Clif- 
ton H.  Hobson,  secretary;  Nathan  L.  Bishop,  William  D. 
Tillson,  Rev.  Hugh  Treanor,  F.  J.  Werking,  Rev.  James  J. 
Smith,  Bertram  F.  Dodd,  John  B.  Stanton,  Rev.  John 
Ambot,  Walter  E.  Canfield,  Rev.  Arthur  O'Keefe,  William 
G.  Tarbox,  F.  H.  Bushnell. 

Transportation  Committee — Charles  H.  Preston,  chair- 
man; Joseph  D.  Haviland,  secretary;  Frank  H.  Smith, 
Charles  J.  Winters,  Alonzo  R.  Aborn,  Ansel  A.  Beckwith, 
Gilbert  L.  Hewitt,  John  A.  Moran,  Henry  F.  Ulmer,  Charles 
E.  Whittaker,  Benjamin  Hall,  Calvin  L.  Harwood. 

Committee  on  Public  Safety — Dr.  P.  H.  Harriman, 
chairman ;  Frederick  Symington,  secretary ;  Howard  L. 
Stanton,  John  Murphy,  George  E.  Fellows. 

Procession  Committee — Dr.  P.  H.  Harriman,  chairman ; 
Charles  W.  Gale,  Hugh  Blackledge,  Herbert  M.  Lerou, 
Fred  A.  Fox,  Charles  S.  Holbrook,  John  D.  Moulton, 
William  L  Woodward,  James  Graham,  Irving  J.  Willis, 
Edward  T.  Burke,  Michael  C.  Higgins,  John  J.  Corkery, 
Rutherford  C.  Plaut,  Charles  H.  Preston,  architect;  Dr.  D. 
J.  Shahan,  Norris  S.  Lippitt,  J.  Herbert  George,  John  Wood- 
mansee,  Dr.  James  J.  Donohue,  John  P.  Murphy;  Zebulon  R. 
Robbins,  Arcanum  Club ;  James  C.  MacPherson,  Somerset 
Lodge,  F.  Leon  Hutchins,  St.  James  Lodge,  Charles  Billings 
Chapman,  Columbian  Commandery,  Masonic;  Frank  J. 
King,  Robert  A.  Brown,  Frank  M.  Green,  Harold  T. 
Sargent,  Odd  Fellows;  Capt.  John  A.  Hagberg,  Capt. 
William  G.  Tarbox,  Military ;  Vine  S.  Stetson,  G.  A.  R. ; 
George  E.  Zimmerman,  Sons  of  Veterans;  Ida  R.  Green, 
W.  R.  C.,  G.  A.  R. ;  Michael  J.  Dwyer,  Frank  J.  Murtha, 
Terrence  Hanlon,  A.  O.  H. ;  C.  W.  Worthington,  John  H. 
Taylor,  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  William  R.  Stevens,  B.  P.  O.  E.; 
Michael  J.  Malone,  C.  B.  L. ;  Herbert  B.  Gary,  Chelsea  Boat 
Club ;  S.  Howard  Mead,  Colonial  Club ;  Samuel  Kronig, 


62  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

Benevolent  Hebrew  Society;  Mary  Washburn,  Daughters 
of  Liberty;  Maria  L.  Button,  Degree  of  Pocahontas; 
William  Weldon,  Patrick  F.  Bray,  Albert  Thorp,  Allen 
Boyle,  F.  of  A. ;  Percival  Armstrong,  Eagles ;  James  T. 
Carey,  Heptasophs;  Morris  Rosin,  I.  O.  B.  A.;  James  C. 
Donovan,  Michael  J.  Kelley,  James  Grierson,  Labor  Union ; 
P.  F.  Murtagh,  Antoine  Paquette,  K.  of  C. ;  Napoleon 
Beausoliel,  K.  of  St.  L. ;  Dr.  George  A.  Comeau,  Union  St. 
J.  C.  B.;  Archibald  C.  Everett,  Willard  H.  Palmer,  M.  W. 
A. ;  Percy  H.  Wilcox,  Margaret  R.  Rohan,  N.  E.  O.  P. ;  C. 
Amos  Johnson,  Norwich  Club;  Charles  D.  White,  Golf 
Club;  N.  L.  Bishop,  Roque  Club;  William  J.  Curran,  Typo- 
graphical Union;  Herman  Alofsin,  O.  B.  A.;  Richard 
Thoma,  Ida  Weiss,  O.  D.  H.  S. ;  Anna  Hammer,  O.  of  V. ; 
John  Gamble,  O.  U.  A.  M.;  Alexander  Jordan,  Hormisdas 
Gaucher,  Royal  Arcanum ;  Ludwig  Anderson,  Swedish 
Political  Club ;  John  Lindroth,  Scandinavian  Benefit 
Society;  Bruno  Pedace,  Joseph  Podurgrel,  St.  John's 
Polish  Society;  Stanislaus  Marchiel,  St.  George  Polish 
Society;  Isidore  Boucher,  St.  Jean  de  Baptiste;  Maurice  J. 
Buckley,  St.  Joseph's  Sodality;  John  F.  Amburn,  Franklin 
Bowen,  K.  of  P. ;  Cesare  Del  Carlo,  Convezzo  D'Atri, 
Italian  Society ;  John  Seidel,  Maennerchor-Taftville ;  Miss 
Harriet  G.  Cross,  W.  C.  T.  U. ;  Mary  Foley,  St.  Anne's 
Temperance ;  Walter  G.  Casey,  St.  Mary's  Temperance ; 
P.  F.  Shea,  Father  Mathew's  Temperance;  Bryan  Hanlon, 
Sacred  Heart  Temperance  Society;  Miss  Mary  E.  Hartie, 
St.  Cecilia's  T.  A.  Society ;  Dr.  Edward  J.  Brophy,  Holy  Name 
Society;  Wm.  McClafferty,  The  Evergreen  Club;  Mrs.  P.  H. 
Harriman,  Catholic  Woman's  Club ;  Louis  Andrews, 
Tierney  Cadets ;  Mrs.  D.  J.  Shahan,  Ladies'  Catholic 
Society;  George  Greenberger,  Congregation  Sons  of  Israel; 
S.  Zellinger,  Congregation  Sons  of  Joseph ;  W.  Stefanski, 
Polish  School;  William  Caruthers  and  William  A.  Wells, 
U.  S.  Government;  Henry  F.  Ulmer,  Charles  B.  Lee,  Wm. 
G.  Henderson,  Charles  D.  Gallup,  Frederic  W.  Cary,  Henry 
W.  Tibbits,  Joseph  D.  Aiken,  John  F.  Rogers,  J.  W.  Curtis, 
W.  I.  Woodward,  Philip  Henault,  Norwich  Board  of  Trade. 


MEETINGS  OF  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE.  63 

Hospitality  Committee — Lewis  R.  Church,  chairman; 
Albert  H.  Chase,  Charles  P.  Bushnell,  Herman  D.  Rallion, 
Ebenezer  Allen,  Rollin  C.  Jones,  Frank  Hempstead,  Reuben 
S.  Bartlett,  Francis  E.  Beckwith,  Gurdon  L.  Bidwell,  J. 
Frank  Clark,  Archa  W.  Coit,  Arthur  G.  Crowell,  John  H. 
Ford,  Currie  Gilmour,  Otis  B.  Hall,  Justin  Holden,  Edwin 
Oldfield,  Henry  B.  Davenport,  Woodbury  O.  Rogers,  F.  E. 
Pattison,  C.  D.  Boynton,  D.  J.  Hayes,  William  J.  Farrell, 
Louis  Mabrey,  James  Constanti,  M.  Louis  DeMonte,  Frank 
E.  Martin,  A.  A.  Adam,  George  E.  Driscoll,  Edward  Price, 
Edwin  L.  Burnap. 

Edwin  A.  Tracy  was,  ex  officio,  a  member  of  all  sub- 
committees. 

All  these  committees  engaged  in  their  respective  duties 
with  due  diligence,  holding  frequent  meetings  and  keeping 
records  of  their  proceedings,  which  were  reported  to  the 
executive  committee  by  its  ubiquitous  chairman,  who  was 
here,  there  and  everywhere,  giving  close  personal  attention 
to  innumerable  details. 

By  a  vote  of  the  executive  committee  all  moneys  re- 
ceived were  paid  over  to  Col.  Charles  W.  Gale,  treasurer 
of  the  general  committee,  and  disbursed  by  him  only  on 
vouchers  for  expenses  certified  and  approved  by  the  sub- 
committee incurring  the  expense  and  by  the  finance  com- 
mittee. The  records  of  these  sub-committees,  and  the 
remarkably  full  and  complete  records  of  the  general  com- 
mittee and  the  executive  committee,  kept  by  the  secretary, 
Gilbert  S.  Raymond,  will  be  deposited  in  the  town  clerk's 
office  for  the  information  of  whom  it  may  concern. 

The  details  of  the  work  of  the  sub-committees  would 
fill  a  volume,  but,  however  essential  they  were  it  must 
suffice  here  to  advert  only  to  some  of  the  more  important 
things  actually  accomplished. 

On  July  29,  1908,  on  motion  of  Col.  Charles  W.  Gale, 
it  was  voted  that  the  celebration  be  held  on  Tuesday  and 
Wednesday,  September  7  and  8,  1909.  Subsequently 
the  advertising  committee  reported  the  printing  of  half 


64  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

a  million  souvenir  postal  cards  in  eight  colors,  showing  fifty 
different  views  in  the  town,  to  be  furnished  to  dealers  at 
a  nominal  price  for  advertising  purposes  and  otherwise, 
without  expense  to  the  committee.  The  sentiment  of  the 
executive  committee  as  expressed  by  the  president,  by 
the  chairman,  by  Gen.  Aiken,  and  others  was  that  the 
celebration  should  be  conducted  on  the  highest  plane,  free 
from  such  catch-penny  schemes  as  advertisements  on  pro- 
grammes or  similar  devices,  and  supported  by  direct  con- 
tributions from  the  town,  city,  and  private  citizens,  with 
such  dignity  that  no  criticism  could  follow. 

The  ways  and  means  committee  reported  an  appro- 
priation of  $5,000  from  the  town  of  Norwich,  which  was 
subsequently  approved  and  validated  by  the  General 
Assembly.  The  chairman  reported  progress  from  time  to 
time  in  behalf  of  the  sub-committees  in  regard  to  literary 
exercises,  badges,  letter  heads,  invitations,  expenses,  etc. 

On  April  6,  1909,  the  president,  Mr.  Williams,  and 
the  chairman,  Mr.  Tracy,  gave  a  detailed  account  of  their 
visit  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  for  the  purpose 
of  inviting  him  to  honor  the  celebration  with  his  presence. 
He  expressed  not  only  willingness  but  desire  to  accept  the 
invitation,  on  the  only  free  date  at  his  command,  which 
would  be  July  5.  After  prolonged  discussion  in  which  all 
the  members  expressed  their  views  it  was  resolved  that 
the  vote  naming  September  7  and  8,  1909,  for  the  days  of 
the  celebration,  be  rescinded,  and  that  July  5  and  6  be 
substituted  therefor.  The  action  of  the  committee  was 
acquiesced  in,  even  by  those  who  feared  that  the  celebration 
might  be  rather  an  ovation  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States  than  an  historic  commemoration,  and  that  the  time 
for  preparation,  reduced  to  sixty  days,  would  be  insufficient. 
But,  as  in  the  days  of  Nehemiah  the  son  of  Hachaliah,  when 
the  walls  of  Jerusalem  were  to  be  rebuilt,  all  "the  people 
had  a  mind  to  work,"  so  the  people  of  Norwich,  as  they 
have  never  failed  to  do  in  an  emergency,  rose  to  the  occasion 
with  one  heart  and  voice,  and  thus  a  successful  celebration 
was  assured  in  advance. 


ACTIVITIES  OF  COMMITTEES.  6$ 

In  1859  a  young  girl  who  was  present  at  the  bi-centen- 
nial  celebration  prided  herself  that  she  was  entitled  to  wear 
two  silk  badges,  one  as  a  native  of  Norwich,  and  one  as 
the  descendant  of  a  native,  whereas,  her  mother,  although 
she  was  the  wife  of  a  native  and  the  mother  of  a  native, 
was  permitted  to  wear  only  the  less  distinguished  decora- 
tion of  an  invited  guest.  In  1909,  fifty  years  later,  all  that 
was  changed.  Such  fine  distinctions  were  ignored,  and 
to  every  one,  whether  native  born,  or  descendant  of  a 
founder,  or  an  adopted  fellow  citizen  of  foreign  ancestry, 
was  extended  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  provided  that 
he  knew  the  shibboleth  well  enough  to  make  his  Norwich 
rhyme  with  porridge. 

The  few  weeks  intervening  before  the  day  appointed 
for  the  celebration  were  fully  occupied  by  the  committees 
in  planning  and  discussing,  considering  and  reconsidering, 
ways  and  means  for  the  execution  of  a  thousand  important 
details.  A  general  programme  was  adopted,  five  thousand 
invitations  were  issued,  contracts  were  made  for  badges, 
flags,  electrical  displays,  fire-works,  bands  of  music  for 
parades  and  concerts,  for  reviewing  stands,  for  a  military 
parade  and  for  feeding  the  soldiers,  for  an  exhibition  of 
historical  tableaux,  for  the  erection  of  an  imposing  plaster 
statue  called  "The  Founders,"  for  hotel  accommodations 
for  distinguished  guests,  for  reduced  railway  fares,  for  a 
loan  exhibition  by  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, and  for  the  unveiling  of  a  memorial  fountain  under 
their  auspices,  for  the  exhibition  of  the  airship,  "California 
Arrow,"  for  athletic  sports  and  a  harbor  parade,  and  for 
a  grand  military  and  civic  procession,  all  of  which,  and 
other  interesting  events,  are  fully  set  forth  in  the  official 
programme  which  will  follow.  A  committee  of  public 
health  and  safety,  of  which  Dr.  P.  H.  Harriman  was  chair- 
man, was  appointed,  and  proclamations  were  issued  by 
the  mayor  of  the  city  and  the  first  selectman  of  the  town 
restraining  the  use  of  fire  crackers  and  other  explosives. 

The  historical  committee,  of  which  Dr.  Gulliver  was 
chairman,  undertook  to  place  suitable  markers  on  one  hun- 


66  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

dred  and  fifty  interesting  historic  spots  in  the  town,  and 
issued  a  large  edition  of  an  explanatory  handbook  of  thirty 
pages,  entitled  "Persons  and  Places  in  the  Ancient  Town 
of  Norwich,"  which  will  be  re-printed  in  this  volume;  and, 
finally,  a  special  committee,  consisting  of  Dr.  Frederic  P. 
Gulliver,  the  Rev.  George  H.  Ewing,  William  C.  Gilman, 
and  Frederick  T.  Sayles,  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of 
services  on  Sunday  at  the  up-town  burial  ground. 

As  the  day  approached  intense  interest  was  felt  as  to 
the  arrival  of  the  President;  would  it  be  prevented  by  the 
failure  of  congress  to  act  on  the  pending  tariff  bill;  would 
he  come  from  Washington  or  from  Beverly — via  New  Lon- 
don or  Willimantic ;  at  what  hour  would  he  arrive ;  could 
his  private  car  run  with  safety  on  the  Vermont  Central 
tracks?  All  these  debatable  questions  were  happily  settled. 
When  the  time  came  every  man  was  at  his  post.  He  was 
expected  to  do  his  duty,  and,  what  is  more,  he  did  it.  All 
the  parts  of  the  machine  were  in  such  perfect  adjustment 
that  no  rehearsal,  no  tuning  up,  no  trial  trip  was  needed. 
The  moment  the  signal  was  given  the  wheels  began  to  move 
like  clockwork,  without  a  jar  or  a  jolt,  and  so  continued 
without  any  mishap  or  accident. 

Services  at  the  Up-town  Burying  Ground. 

For  the  first  of  the  public  services  in  the  celebration 
of  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  settle- 
ment of  the  town,  Norwich  invited  her  sons  and  daughters 
to  a  service  on  Sunday  afternoon,  July  4,  that  fittingly 
commemorated  the  thirty-five  Founders.  It  was  held  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  old  Norwich  Town  burying  ground, 
where  a  throng  of  more  than  five  hundred  people  were 
assembled  among  the  moss-covered  stones  that  marked  the 
last  resting  place  of  many  of  the  forefathers. 

The  spot  chosen  for  the  service  was  on  the  home  lot 
of  the  Rev.  James  Fitch,  where  a  tall  weeping  willow  over- 
looking the  attentive  audience  bore  upon  its  trunk  the 
names  of  four  of  the  Founders  buried  in  this  plot — Thomas 


SERVICES  AT  OLD  BURYING  GROUND.  67 

Adgate,  Simon  Huntington,  John  Post,  and  Thomas 
Waterman,  as  well  as  that  of  Christopher  Huntington,  Jr., 
the  first  of  the  males  born  in  the  settlement.  Patriotic 
sentiments  re-kindled  by  the  day  and  by  the  graves  of 
heroes  of  the  American  Revolution,  pious  remembrances 
of  the  Founders,  and  tender  memories  of  nearer  ancestors 
and  kindred  combined  to  make  the  occasion  the  most 
interesting  and  impressive  event  of  the  celebration. 

The  ushers  who  arranged  the  audience  in  front  of  the 
gentle  slope  where  the  speakers  stood  were  George  F.  Hyde, 
John  E.  Luther,  Jeremiah  Murphy,  Thomas  Casey,  William 
Wells  Lyman,  and  R.  Huntington  Gulliver. 

Dr.  Frederic  P.  Gulliver  was  in  charge  of  the 
service,  which  opened  with  the  hymn,  "O  God,  Our 
Help  in  Ages  Past,"  sung  with  full-toned  melody  by  a  choir 
directed  by  Frederick  W.  Lester.  The  singers  were  Mrs. 
Charles  Tyler  Bard,  Mrs.  Frank  Herbert  Merrill,  Miss 
Louise  Fuller,  Miss  Elsie  D.  Brand,  Mrs.  Frederic  S.  Young, 
Mrs.  A.  T.  Sullivan,  Mrs.  George  T.  Lord,  Mrs.  William  G. 
Haselden,  Miss  Belle  T.  Service,  and  Louis  A.  Wheeler, 
James  Henderson,  Louis  Brown,  George  A.  Turner,  F.  S. 
Birchard,  James  L.  Case,  Walter  F.  Lester,  William  Oddy, 
and  C.  D.  Gallup. 

The  welcome  in  the  name  of  the  Founders  was  given 
by  Dr.  F.  P.  Gulliver,  who  said : 

In  the  name  of  the  Founders  of  Norwich,  the  thirty-five 
original  proprietors,  to  whom  was  granted  by  Uncas  the 
nine  miles  square  tract,  I  bid  you  one  and  all  welcome  to 
our  25oth  anniversary  celebration.  I  have  been  asked  to  do 
this,  first,  as  a  life-long  resident  of  Norwich;  second,  as  a 
descendant  of  one-third  of  the  original  proprietors  who  250 
years  ago  laid  the  foundation  of  Norwich;  and,  third,  as  one 
who  has  confidence  that  before  our  3OOth  anniversary  celebra- 
tion, Norwich  will  have  outgrown  the  condition  of  rival 
villages,  and  will  have  become  the  undoubted  leader  of  eastern 
Connecticut  in  business,  commerce,  transportation,  etc. 


68  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

We  stand  this  afternoon  in  a  portion  of  the  home  lot  of 
the  Rev.  James  Fitch,  which  in  1699  was  opened  as  a  burial 
place  for  Norwich.  I  ask  you  to  join  in  the  invocation  offered 
by  the  successor  of  Mr.  Fitch,  the  Rev.  George  H.  Ewing, 
pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  church. 

Following  the  invocation,  the  hymn,  "Gone  Are  the 
Great  and  Good",  was  sung. 

Dr.  Gulliver  then  said: 

Many  of  our  ancestors  came  from  Saybrook,  attracted 
by  the  water  power  and  level  land  in  this  region.  The  Rev. 
Dr.  Lewellyn  Pratt,  a  descendant  of  our  Saybrook  ancestors, 
will  address  us  on  "The  Outgoing  from  Saybrook." 

Dr.  Pratt,  who  was  heard  with  marked  attention  by 
the  large  assembly,  said : 

I  presume  that  I  have  been  selected  to  speak  this  open- 
ing word  in  the  public  services  of  this  25oth  anniversary, 
as  a  native  and  representative  of  the  old  town  of  Saybrook. 
I  am  to  remind  you  of  "the  rock  whence  ye  were  hewn  and 
the  hole  of  the  pit  whence  ye  were  digged." 

Norwich  Pilgrims  Came  from  Saybrook. 

As  we  all  know,  the  band  of  pilgrims  who  came  here 
in  1659-60  came  for  the  most  part  from  Saybrook.  An 
independent  colony  had  been  established  there  under  the 
leadership  of  Gov.  John  Winthrop  the  younger.  It  was  a 
colony  animated  by  great  expectations.  The  importance  of 
the  location  at  the  mouth  of  the  great  river,  the  prospect 
and  the  purpose  of  building  there  a  large  city,  and  the  hope 
that  many  prominent  men  would  soon  follow  made  it  an 
attractive  spot  to  enterprising  souls.  That  settlement  was 
begun  in  1635 — the  same  year  that  Hooker  brought  his 
colony  through  the  wilderness  to  Hartford.  Lion  Gardiner, 
an  engineer  who  had  seen  service  under  the  Prince  of 
Orange  in  the  Netherlands,  was  induced  by  Gov.  Winthrop 
to  come  to  fortify  the  place,  to  lay  out  the  ground  for  a  city, 
and  to  "make  preparation  for  the  reception  of  men  of 


REV.  DR.  PRATT'S  ADDRESS.  69 

quality,"  who  were  soon  to  follow  from  England.  He  re- 
mained four  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Col.  George 
Fenwick,  and  he  in  turn  by  Major.  John  Mason.  During 
the  first  years,  troublesome  years  of  defence  against  the 
frequent  assaults  of  the  Indians,  the  settlement  had  for  its 
center  and  principal  feature  the  fort  which  Gardiner  had 
built  at  the  first.  About  this  were  clustered  the  houses,  and 
in  this,  in  the  Great  Hall,  was  the  gathering  place  for 
defense,  for  transaction  of  business,  and  for  worship.  No 
church  was  formed  at  first,  for  it  was  principally  a  military 
post;  and  the  chaplain  of  the  post,  Rev.  John  Higginson, 
was  the  spiritual  guide  of  the  colony.  Col.  George  Fenwick, 
after  the  failure  of  "the  men  of  quality,"  who  were  expected 
to  join  him  in  the  enterprise,  transferred  his  colony  in  1644 
to  Connecticut,  and  soon  after,  saddened  by  the  death  of 
his  wife,  Lady  Alice,  returned  with  his  children  to  England, 
and  Major  John  Mason  was  persuaded  to  receive  the  in- 
vestment and  to  make  Saybrook  his  home.  There  he  re- 
mained as  leader  for  twelve  3rears. 


A  Church  Formed. 

Under  his  administration  the  colony  thrived,  and  a 
more  extended  settlement  was  made  north,  east  and  west. 
In  1646  a  church  was  formed  and  the  Rev.  James  Fitch,  who 
had  studied  with  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker  and  who  was 
recommended  by  him,  became  pastor,  and  Thomas  Adgate 
deacon.  Mr.  Fitch's  ministry,  whom  Trumbull  speaks  of 
as  a  "famous  young  gentleman"  (he  was  in  his  24th  year 
when  he  was  settled),  proved  to  be  a  very  happy  and  suc- 
cessful one.  Notwithstanding  the  hostility  of  the  Dutch 
and  the  Indians,  the  plantation  grew  by  the  moving  in  of 
choice  families,  some  of  them  from  Windsor  and  Hartford, 
attracted  in  part  by  the  popularity  of  the  young  preacher. 
We  have  meager  records  of  that  period,  but  it  seems  to 
have  been  one  that  promised  well  for  the  settlement,  which 
was  now  assuming  the  consequence  of  a  real  plantation 
and  becoming  something  more  than  a  military  post. 


7O  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

Decision  to  Go  to  Norwich. 

After  a  lapse  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  years,  however,  we 
find  that  a  check  is  to  be  given  to  this  progress,  the  intima- 
tion of  which  is  clearly  marked  by  this  order  of  the  general 
court  of  Connecticut,  dated  May  20,  1659: 

"This  court  having  considered  the  petition  presented 
by  the  inhabitants  of  Seabrook,  doe  declare  yt  they  approve 
and  consent  to  what  is  desired  by  ye  petitioners  respecting 
Mohegin,  prvided  yt  within  ye  space  of  three  years  they 
doe  effect  a  Plantation  in  ye  place  prpounded." 

We  would  like  to  know  more  of  this  petition  and  of  the 
list  of  names  signed  to  it,  but  no  copy  has  been  preserved. 
The  order  speaks  of  the  "inhabitants  of  Seabrook,"  which 
seems  to  imply  that  a  majority  proposed  to  remove;  and 
the  fact  that  Mr.  Fitch,  their  pastor,  decided  to  come  with 
them  also  lends  color  to  that  view.  It  is  doubtful,  however, 
if  the  majority  actually  came.  Mr.  Fitch  may  have  recog- 
nized the  greater  need  of  those  who  were  to  go  into  new 
conditions  and  who  would  require  his  experience  and 
counsel  in  the  organizations  they  must  effect.  Apparently, 
it  was  not  regarded  as  the  removal  of  the  church,  although 
its  pastor  and  deacon  came — Saybrook  has  always  dated 
the  organization  of  its  church  in  1646,  and  Norwich  1660 — 
but  in  all  probability  the  younger  and  more  enterprising  of 
the  colony  came,  and  the  loss  to  Saybrook  was  most  serious- 
ly felt.  For  several  years,  till  1665,  the  colony  and  church 
that  were  left  behind  were  in  a  disheartened  state. 

Many  reasons  have  been  surmised  for  the  removal, 
some  of  them  too  frivolous  to  be  accepted,  as  that  which 
has  been  so  often  repeated ;  that  these  Norwich  pioneers 
with  Major  Mason  and  James  Fitch  at  their  head,  were 
"driven  out  by  the  crows  and  blackbirds  that  destroyed 
their  corn."  We  may  imagine  many  reasons,  among  them, 
perhaps,  was  the  disappointment  that  the  men  who  had 
planned  to  settle  at  Saybrook  and  who  would  have  given 
peculiar  character  and  standing  to  that  colony  had  failed 
to  come ;  and  even  their  representative,  Colonel  Fenwick, 
had  lost  heart  in  the  enterprise  and  abandoned  it.  Then, 


REV.   DR.   PRATT  S  ADDRESS.  /I 

there  were  the  inducements  which  the  friendly  Indians  here 
held  out  and  the  offer  of  a  large  tract  of  land  for  settle- 
ment. 

The  peculiar  beauty  of  this  section,  with  its  wooded 
hills,  its  fertile  plains  and  running  brooks,  attracted  them. 
The  pioneer  spirit  appealed  to  them,  was  in  their  blood,  as 
in  all  the  colonies  at  that  time.  They  must  go  somewhere. 
So  Hooker  had  come  to  Hartford,  Pynchon  to  Springfield, 
Roger  Williams  to  Rhode  Island,  Jonathan  Brewster  to 
Windsor  and  Brewster's  Neck.  Probably  this  Norwich 
colony  had  as  reasons  for  the  removal  some  like  those  given 
by  Hooker's  company  in  their  petition  for  permission  for 
removal  to  Hartford,  which  were: 

1.  "Want  of  room  where  we  are." 

2.  "The    fruitfulness    and   commodiousness    of    Con- 
necticut and  the  danger  of  having  it  possessed  by  others." 

3.  "The  strong  bent  of  our  spirit  to  remove  thither." 

Probably  the  "bent  of  their  spirit''  was  the  motive,  more 
potent  than  either  of  the  others  or  than  both  of  them 
together. 

That  act  of  the  general  court  of  May,  1659,  which  I 
have  quoted,  made  as  its  condition  that  the  settlement  must 
be  made  within  the  three  years  thereafter.  Apparently  no 
time  was  lost;  and  the  advance  guard  came  in  the  summer 
of  1659,  followed  by  the  remainder  of  the  company  the  next 
year. 

Character  of  the  Settlers. 

It  was  a  valiant  and  goodly  band  of  well  to  do  folk  of 
good  ancestry,  that  had  been  trained  by  strong  leaders, 
such  as  Winthrop,  Fenwick,  Gardiner,  Mason,  Higginson 
and  Fitch,  had  been  inured  to  service  in  a  new  country,  had 
already  attained  to  a  well  ordered  life  under  a  constitu- 
tional government,  and  were  united  under  the  restraining 
and  refining  power  of  the  Christian  faith.  This  colony  did 
not  begin  in  a  random  way,  like  so  many  of  the  early  settle- 


72  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

ments  or  like  so  many  of  the  later  frontier  ventures,  by  re- 
ceiving accessions  of  restless  adventurers  from  this  quarter 
and  that  till  it  gradually  grew  into  stable  form  and  condi- 
tion: it  came  upon  the  ground  a  town  and  a  church.  The 
people  were  not  a  miscellaneous  company  thrown  together 
by  chance,  needing  to  be  trained  and  assimilated,  but  an 
association  carrying  their  laws  as  well  as  their  liberties 
with  them ;  not  strangers,  each  seeking  his  own 
advantage,  staking  out  his  own  claim  and  defending 
it  by  arms;  but  a  band  of  God-fearing  men  and 
women  united  into  a  brotherhood,  each  bound  to  act 
for  the  common  good.  They  were  not  mere  fortune  hun- 
ters or  buccaneers  coming  to  wrest  their  speedy  gain  and 
then  retire;  but  founders  of  a  civilized  and  Christian  state 
in  which  they  could  establish  homes,  and  which  they  could 
bequeath  to  their  children  as  a  priceless  inheritance.  They 
were  looking  forward  to  permanence  and  a  future  and  they 
knew  that  steady  habits,  manly  toil  and  fine  fraternity  of 
feeling  must  enter  into  that  to  make  it  stable.  All  the 
enactments  and  proceedings  of  those  early  days  reveal  a 
community  in  which  good  order,  decorum  of  manners,  self- 
respect  and  high  ideals  prevailed.  The  Christian  church 
was  the  unifying  bond  and  the  guide  of  their  lives.  They 
were  cheered  and  strengthened  by  the  constant  charm  of 
its  promises,  and  the  rigor  of  the  wilderness  and  the  priva- 
tions of  frontier  life  were  softened  by  its  hopes.  I  do  not 
know  how  much  they  thought  of  the  names  they  were  to 
transmit.  I  think  some  of  them  would  have  smiled  at  the 
coats  of  arms  and  the  kind  of  heraldic  glory  with  which  they 
have  been  crowned,  and  would  have  been  incredulous  of 
the  "genuine"  heirlooms  that  have  been  handed  down ;  but 
they  did  aim  to  lead  honest  and  honorable  lives  and  to 
make  a  community  in  which  it  would  be  safe  and  wholesome 
for  their  children  to  grow. 

It  was  a  sifted  seed  that  was  brought  by  Winthrop  to 
his  first  settlement ;  and  it  was  sifted  again  when  Fitch  and 
Mason  brought  it  here.  Who  they  were;  how  they  fared; 
what  hostages  they  have  given  to  history  in  the  lines  of 


REV.  MR.  NORTH ROP'S  ADDRESS.  73 

noble  descent,  we  are  to  hear  in  the  days  that  are  to  follow. 
It  is  a  goodly  story — the  orderly  life  of  those  early  days; 
then,  the  patriotic  spirit  of  the  time  when  the  nation  was 
born ;  then,  the  enterprise  of  this  later  time.  Norwich,  proud 
of  her  ancestry,  of  the  achievements  of  her  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, of  her  well  earned  name,  and  of  her  lines  running  out 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  comes  to  her  quarter  millennium 
with  devout  gratitude  to  Him  who  brought  us  here  and 
who  has  sustained  us. 

And  it  surely  is  not  amiss,  while,  standing  by  their 
graves,  we  honor  the  memories  of  those  heroic  men  and 
women  and  congratulate  ourselves  on  our  heritage,  to  re- 
mind ourselves  that 

"They  that  on  glorious  ancestors  enlarge 
Produce  their  debt  instead  of  their  discharge," 
and,    that    though    these    have    witnesses    borne    to    them 
through  their  faith,  "God  has  provided  some  better  thing 
for  us,  that  apart  from  us  they  should  not  be  made  per- 
fect." 

After  the  spirited  singing  of  the  hymn,  "Let  Children 
Hear  the  Mighty  Deeds,"  Chairman  Gulliver  said:  In  the 
fall  of  1659,  or  spring  of  1660,  the  first  settlers  constructed 
a  log  meeting-house  some  500  feet  west  of  the  point  where 
we  are  standing. 

He  then  presented  Rev.  C.  A.  Northrop  to  give  an  address 
on  Building  a  Church-State.  Mr.  Northrop  said : 

The  Founders. 

How  many  there  were  of  them  has  never  been  officially 
determined  till  recently,  when,  according  to  the  signed, 
sealed  and  delivered  statement  of  the  Society  of  the  Found- 
ers, there  were  thirty-five.  This  is  probably  about  as  near 
to  the  truth  as  we  shall  ever  be  able  to  get. 

They  were  men  in  the  prime  of  life,  most  of  them  with 
families — of  the  respectable  middle  class  of  Englishmen, 
with  a  dash  or  two  of  aristocracy.  The  Hydes  and 


74  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Huntingtons  and  Leffingwells  and  Tracys  were  of  good 
stock.  They  were  young,  vigorous  adventurers  of  the  best 
type.  Samuel  Hyde  was  23  years  old  when  he  set  foot 
in  Norwich,  Simon  Huntington  was  31,  John  Birchard  32, 
Post  and  Olmstead  34,  Fitch  and  Leffingwell  38,  Adgate  40, 
Tracy  50,  Mason  and  Caulkins  60. 

They  were  in  comfortable  circumstances.  They  came 
to  work.  They  were  wheelwrights,  and  millers,  and  mer- 
chants, and  surveyors,  and  shoemakers,  and  brewers,  and 
tanners,  and  cutlers,  and  stone  cutters  and  carpenters  and 
farmers.  They  were  uneducated,  some  of  them,  as  to  books, 
but  they  knew  many  things.  If  "Old  Goodman  Hide"  and 
Caulkins  made  their  mark  on  legal  documents  instead  of 
their  name,  it  did  not  prevent  them  from  making  a  name. 

The  Saybrook  influences  that  cradled  them  survived 
here  for  many  a  day.  Fitch  and  Woodward  and  Lord,  the 
first  three  ministers,  were  of  Saybrook  extraction  and  served 
the  church  for  nearly  125  years.  The  third  pastor  of  the 
Second  society  of  the  Nine-mile  Square  (Franklin)  was  a 
Saybrook  boy,  and  lingered  on  till  the  second  half  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  I,  myself,  might  have  shaken  hands 
with  him  had  he  come  to  my  father's  house  before  he  died. 
And  that  does  not  end  the  Saybrook  influence,  for  when 
Dr.  Nott  of  Franklin  passed  away,  there  came  into  the 
Norwich  atmosphere  the  overshadowing  delight  of  Dr. 
Pratt,  another  Saybrook  product,  who  is  with  us  to-day  and 
may  his  shadow  never  grow  less. 

Their  Incoming. 

They  came  as  purchasers,  not  as  conquerors.  They 
came  by  families,  and  went  to  work.  So  busy  were  they 
that  in  a  few  years  they  did  not  know  where  their  own  pos- 
sessions lay.  They  kept  few  records,  and  if  they  could 
only  have  known  how  much  was  to  be  made  of  them  by  a 
grateful  posterity,  they  would  certainly  have  told  us  more 
about  themselves.  How  much  would  we  not  give  to-day 
for  Pastor  Fitch's  notes  on  his  varied  and  useful  work  for 


REV.  MR.  NORTH  ROP'S  ADDRESS.  75 

whites  and  Indians,  and  for  an  even  hurried  glance  over  the 
lost  pages  of  the  church  records  for  the  first  40  years ! 

They  were  an  orderly  people.  They  builded  well.  They 
organized  at  once  "a  Religious  Society  and  Church- State." 
It  mattered  not  whether  they  said  church  or  state.  Both 
were  one  to  them.  We  have  here  the  three  fundamental 
types  of  society,  Family,  Church,  State. 

For  sixty  years  town  and  church  affairs  were  recorded 
together.  After  that,  the  church  records  were  called  "Town 
Plot  Society  Records."  The  town  clerk  was  generally  the 
church  clerk. 

Their  Ongoing. 

Statewise,  as  citizens,  they  led  quiet  and  peaceable 
lives  with  some  godliness  and  much  honesty.  They  were 
at  peace  with  the  Indians.  They  held  offices  and  held  on 
to  them.  For  eighty  years  the  town  offices  were  held  in 
the  families  of  the  first  proprietors.  John  Birchard  was 
town  clerk  for  18  years  with  a  Saybrook  experience  behind 
him.  Richard  Bushnell  served  in  that  capacity  for  30  years. 
Six  generations  of  Huntingtons  held  the  office  for  152  years 
with  only  one  break  of  one  year.  In  the  ecclesiastical  line 
two  Adgates,  father  and  son,  held  the  diaconate  for  89 
years,  and  seven  Huntingtons  held  the  like  office  for  201 
out  of  236  years. 

They  bequeathed  property.  Homesteads  remained  in 
the  same  family  for  100  years  and  more.  Some  homesteads 
to-day  are  occupied  by  the  descendants  of  the  original  pro- 
prietors, bearing  the  same  name.  The  second  and  third 
generations  were  well  to  do.  They  were  alive  to  trade. 
Their  patriotism  encouraged  home  manufactures.  Just  about 
the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war  there  were  20  or  more 
trades  and  business  enterprises  around  the  green. 

Their  patriotism  brought  to  the  front  many  illustrious 
leaders  in  war  and  in  counsel.  A  sketch  of  the  doings  around 
the  old  Town  Green  from  the  days  of  the  Stamp  Act  to  the 
Declaration  of  Peace  would  disclose  what  Norwich  men 
and  women  thought  on  the  matter  of  freedom  and  liberty. 


76  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

In  marriage  and  offspring  their  ongoings  were  notable. 
They  were  not  polygamists,  but  they  had  generally  two 
wives,  sometimes  three,  rarely  four.  Widows  married  then 
as  now  without  exciting  much  remark.  The  intertwisting 
of  family  lines  made  everybody  related  to  everybody,  and 
nobody  could  gossip  without  danger  of  slandering  his  rela- 
tives. They  lived  to  a  good  old  age  and  saw  their  children's 
children  and  peace  upon  Israel.  At  death,  Thomas 
Leffingwell  was  92,  Caulkins  90,  Adgate  87,  Bingham  88, 
Simon  Huntington  77,  Fitch  90,  Bushnell  and  Tracy  75, 
Birchard  72,  Mason  72.  Most  of  the  first  generation  were 
buried  in  the  old  Post  and  Gager  ground,  where  now  stands 
the  Mason  monument.  Four  of  them  whose  graves  are 
marked  were  buried  in  the  Old  Town  burying  ground, 
where  these  exercises  are  being  held.  Deacons  Simon 
Huntington  and  Thomas  Adgate,  Sergt.  Thomas  Waterman 
and  John  Post  were  surely  buried  here,  and  probably 
Bowers  and  Reynolds  and  Caulkins  and  Lieuts.  Leffingwell 
and  Backus. 

The  increasingly  valuable  researches  of  the  late 
George  S.  Porter  have  uncovered  for  posterity  many  of  the 
ancient  events,  and  he  is  fittingly  remembered  in  durable 
bronze  at  the  gateway  of  the  ground  where  he  spent  so 
many  days  in  the  service  of  love  for  the  old  Founders. 

Educationally,  the  founders  were  pretty  slow.  They 
had  some  schools,  but  they  were  not  up  to  the  average 
even  of  that  early  day.  In  1700  the  town  was  indicted  by 
the  courts  "for  want  of  a  school  to  instruct  children."  Their 
descendants  have  more  than  made  up  for  their  deficiencies  in 
this  respect. 

As  churchmen,  they  were  decidedly  "broad."  Fitch's 
parish  covered  the  Nine-miles-square,  and  parts  of  Wind- 
ham  and  Canterbury.  It  was  nearly  fifty  years  before  a 
Second  society  was  organized,  at  Franklin  in  1718.  People 
came  from  the  east  and  the  west  and  from  the  north  and 
the  south  and  went  up  Meeting  House  hill  to  worship. 

In  polity  they  were  independent  with  a  will.  They 
would  have  no  such  squinting  at  oversight  as  looked  forth 


REV.   MR.   NORTHROP'S  ADDRESS.  77 

from  the  Saybrook  platform.     They  were  so  independent 
that  they  were  open  to  a  new  idea  now  and  then. 

They  shared  in  the  general  religious  declension  of  the 
years  1660-1740.  Till  the  "Great  Awakening"  of  the  latter 
date,  religion  was  formal  and  external.  There  was  more 
head  than  heart  in  it.  The  Half  Way  Covenant  was  worse 
than  the  Saybrook  Platform.  The  founders  would  have 
nothing  of  the  second  and  had  too  much  of  the  first.  The 
religion  of  genuine  conversion  was  preached  by  Dr.  Lord 
before  Edwards  and  Whitefield  came  on  to  the  stage,  and 
while  the  "New  Lights"  were  the  logical  result  of  Dr. 
Lord's  preaching,  they  were  not  easily  recognized  by  him, 
and  their  unusual  independence  troubled  his  righteous  soul 
not  a  little.  The  awakening  took  deep  root  in  New  London 
county,  where  the  Separatist  movement  was  pronounced, 
and  the  knell  of  dis-establishment  began  to  be  sounded.  As 
Dr.  Lord  goes  out,  the  new  religious  ideas  come  in,  and 
the  established  Congregational  church  of  Connecticut  under- 
goes dissolution  and  gives  place  to  the  rights  of  free  wor- 
ship. And  with  the  freer  and  wider  thinking  begins  a  better 
thought  of  the  outside  world.  Some  of  the  most  fruitful 
beginnings  of  the  great  modern  missionary  movement  had 
their  origin  right  here  on  this  soil,  and  so  it  has  come  to 
pass  that  New  London  county  has  the  distinction  of  having 
given  more  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world  than  any 
other  county  in  the  United  States. 

Their  Outgoing. 

Mason's  descendants  are  found  mostly  outside  the  Nine- 
mile-square — all  the  way  from  Stonington  to  Lebanon.  His 
grandson,  Daniel's,  widow,  became,  by  way  of  Haddam 
influences,  mother  of  David  Brainerd. 

Fitch,  dying  in  Lebanon,  sent  out  lateral  branches  like 
a  cedar  of  Lebanon,  from  Montville  to  Pomfret. 

The  Backuses  had  Isaac,  the  Separatist,  and  founder  of 
the  Baptists;  Charles,  the  wisest  man  whom  President 
Dwight  knew;  Azel,  first  president  of  Hamilton  college; 


78  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

James,  the  surveyor  of  Marietta;  Elijah,  the  cannon  maker 
of  Yantic,  and  William  W.,  the  hospital  man  of  Norwich. 

The  Huntingtons  went  everywhere.  Their  lines  went 
out  into  all  the  earth  and  their  words  to  the  ends  of  the 
world.  Deacon  Christopher,  the  first  boy  born  in  Norwich,  be- 
came grandfather  to  Wheelock,  whose  Indian  school  in 
Lebanon  developed  into  Dartmouth  college.  A  niece  of 
Christopher's  became  ancestress  of  Ulysses  S.  Grant. 

Baby  Elizabeth  Hyde,  the  first  girl  born  in  Norwich, 
became  ancestress  of  two  and  one-third  octavo  pages  of 
distinguished  men  and  women,  according  to  the  testimony 
of  one  of  the  family  given  at  the  2Ooth  anniversary  of  the 
town. 

The  Leffingwells  settled  down  near  by,  and  gave  their 
name  to  a  well-known  district  of  the  township. 

With  the  coming  of  peace  after  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  the  opening  of  "The  Landing"  to  business,  and  the 
advent  of  roads  and  postoffices  and  new  families,  the  grip 
of  the  original  proprietors  on  things  and  thoughts  began 
to  relax,  and  some  of  the  rest  of  us  got  our  chance. 


Their  Legacy. 

They  left  five  towns  and  parts  of  two  others — Bozrah, 
Franklin,  Lisbon,  Sprague,  Norwich,  Griswold,  Preston, 
while  Lebanon,  Mansfield,  Canterbury,  Plainfield  and 
Wmdham  were  peopled  largely  from  the  old  plot.  Along 
the  Yantic  and  Shetucket  and  Quinebaug  they  built  their 
homes  and  influenced  widely  the  social  and  civil  and 
religious  life  of  their  neighbors. 

They  left  thrift  and  neighborly  kindness  and  order  and 
patriotism. 

They  left  churches  in  every  place  where  they  settled 
and  left  good  men  to  advertise  and  support  them.  They 
set  the  pace  and  gave  the  tone  for  the  life,  not  only  of  the 
town  as  it  continued,  but  for  the  city  as  it  began  to  grow. 
Norwich  to-day  has  no  reason  to  forget  and  no  cause  to 
minimize  the  debt  it  still  owes  to  Norwich  Town. 


Electrical  Illumination  of  the  Citv  Hall. 


Founders'  Statue  on   Chelsea   Parade. 


SECOND  DAY  OF  CELEBRATION.  79 

The  exercises  closed  with  the  singing  of  America. 

After  the  close  of  the  exercises  in  the  burying  ground 
an  organ  recital  was  given  in  the  First  Congregational 
church  by  Herbert  L.  Yerrington,  assisted  by  G.  Avery  Ray. 
The  first  number  on  the  programme  was  Bach's  celebrated 
fugue  on  the  theme  familiarly  known  as  "St.  Anne's," 
which  had  been  sung  by  the  choir  and  people  in  the  burying 
ground.  In  many  of  the  churches  on  Sunday  the  pastors 
preached  appropriate  sermons  or  made  special  reference 
to  the  celebration  and  the  religious  history  of  the  town. 
The  evening  was  largely  devoted  to  family  reunions 
and  informal  social  intercourse.  The  weather  throughout 
was  most  favorable, — genuine  Norwich  weather,  such  as 
Norwich  always  expects  to  have  on  her  high  festivals,  and 
thus  the  celebration  of  the  quarter-millennium  had  an 
auspicious  beginning. 

True  to  time-honored  custom  the  day  appointed  for  the 
celebration  of  American  independence  was  "ushered  in,"  in 
fulfillment  of  the  prediction  of  President  John  Adams,  with 
"the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  thunder  of  cannon,"  and  at  half 
past  four  o'clock,  or,  to  be  exact,  at  thirty-one  minutes  past 
four  o'clock,  all  the  bells  in  town,  re-echoing  the  peal  sound- 
ed by  the  old  Liberty  Bell  on  Independence  hall  on  July  4, 
1776,  hallowed  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  year,  and  pro- 
claimed liberty  throughout  the  land  unto  all  the  inhabitants 
thereof.  At  an  early  hour,  strangers,  who  had  been  coming 
for  three  days,  arrived  in  increasing  numbers;  the  railway 
trains  and  trolley  cars  were  crowded,  and  it  was  estimated 
that  on  that  day  Norwich  entertained  fifty  thousand  guests. 

Never  before  was  the  town  so  brilliantly  decorated 
with  profuse  and  beautiful  designs,  arranged  with  artistic 
skill  and  effect.  In  many  places  were  displayed  side  by 
side  the  special  Celebration  Flag  with  the  Rose  of  New 
England,  designed  and  adopted  by  the  Executive  Commit- 
tee, the  Flag  of  the  City,  with  the  heraldic  lion,  domesti- 
cated from  Norwich,  England,  and  the  Flag  of  the  State, 
with  its  symbolic  vines  and  the  legend,  "Qui  transtulit 


8O  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

sustinet" ;  and,  everywhere,  even  on  the  humblest  dwellings, 
predominating  above  all,  was  the  Flag  of  the  United  States, 
not  a  Royal  Ensign,  not  the  standard  of  a  king,  but  the 
Star  Spangled  Banner,  the  Flag  of  all  the  People. 

President  Taft  and  his  personal  escort,  his  secretary 
and  military  aid,  left  Beverly  at  an  early  hour  on  Monday, 
July  5,  and  arrived  in  Norwich  by  a  special  train  via  Putnam 
shortly  before  ten  o'clock.  As  he  landed  on  the  platform 
the  presidential  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  resounded  from 
Geer's  hill,  and  music  from  the  band  of  the  Governor's 
Foot  Guard  and  the  fife  and  drum  corps  of  the  Putnam 
Phalanx  rose  above  "the  thunder  of  the  captains  and  the 
shoutings"  of  thousands  of  people  assembled  to  honor  the 
President  of  the  United  States. 

He  was  cordially  welcomed  by  First  Selectman  Arthur 
D.  Lathrop  on  behalf  of  the  town,  by  his  Honor,  Mayor 
Costello  Lippitt,  and  Aldermen  Frank  A.  Robinson  and 
Vine  S.  Stetson  on  behalf  of  the  city,  by  Winslow  Tracy 
Williams  and  Edwin  A.  Tracy  of  the  executive  committee, 
and  Gen.  William  A.  Aiken,  Arthur  L.  Brewer,  and  Wil- 
liam H.  Palmer  of  the  reception  committee.  At  about  the 
same  time  His  Excellency,  Frank  B.  Weeks,  Governor  of 
Connecticut,  arrived  with  his  staff,  and  the  Right  Reverend 
Chauncey  B.  Brewster,  Bishop  of  Connecticut,  and  other 
high  dignitaries. 

Under  the  escort  of  the  committee,  the  distinguished 
guests  were  conveyed  in  automobiles  to  the  field  adjacent 
to  the  Norwich  Club  House,  to  witness  the  Historical 
Pageant,  or  Tableaux,  representing  scenes  in  Indian  life, 
the  days  of  the  American  Revolution,  and  of  the  war  for  the 
Union  personified  by  soldiers  of  the  present  day,  together 
with  glimpses  of  the  future,  in  which  five  hundred  school 
children  participated.  The  pageant  was  designed  by  George 
A.  Keppler  and  successfully  carried  out  under  his  direction. 

In  the  meantime  the  first  ascension  of  the  airship  was 
made,  and  athletic  sports  took  place  at  the  county  fair 
grounds. 


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RECEPTION  AT  ROCKCLYFFE.  8l 

When  the  President  left  the  field  where  the  pageant 
was  presented,  he  was  escorted  by  Mr.  Williams  to  his  resi- 
dence at  Rockclyffe,  where,  in  the  presence  of  Mr. 
Williams's  family,  Mr.  Taft  planted  a  promising  young  oak 
tree,  a  seedling  from  the  Charter  Oak,  certified  by  the  Hart- 
ford Park  Commissioners  as  a  "lineal  descendant." 

It  had  been  proposed  that  the  President  should  be  in- 
vited to  be  the  guest  of  honor  at  a  public  dinner  on  Monday, 
but  the  time  allotted  for  his  stay  in  Norwich  was  so 
limited,  and  the  events  planned  for  the  day  were  so  numer- 
ous that  the  dinner  was  necessarily  omitted.  But  with  gen- 
erous hospitality  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winslow  Tracy  Williams 
invited  a  large  company  of  their  personal  friends,  with  the 
chief  officials  of  the  town  and  city  and  of  the  quarter- 
millennial  committee,  together  with  their  wives, 

To  meet 

The  Honorable  William  Howard  Taft, 
President  of  the  United  States, 

at  breakfast 
on  Monday,  July  the  fifth, 

at  twelve  o'clock, 
at  Rockclyffe,  Yantic,  Connecticut. 

The  guests,  as  they  approached  Rockclyffe,  found  the 
handsome  granite  bridge  and  its  entrance  court  artistically 
decorated  with  flags,  as  also  the  long  driveway  to  the 
mansion,  over  which  floated  a  single  United  States  flag,  and, 
after  they  had  been  presented  to  Mrs.  Williams  and  the 
President,  an  elegant  breakfast  was  served  at  small  tables 
on  the  spacious  lawn  under  the  shade  of  the  old  oak  trees 
that  crowned  the  hill. 

The  hospitality  of  the  people  of  Norwich  is  proverbial. 
During  the  celebration  their  doors  stood  wide  open  to 
guests,  whether  family  friends  or  strangers,  and  there  were 
many  homes  where  the  President  might  have  been  wel- 
comed with  due  honor  and  gracious  courtesy,  but  it  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  at  that  time  no  other  citizen  of 


82  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Norwich  could  have  extended  such  magnificent  hospitality, 
to  so  many  guests,  in  such  a  charming  environment  in  honor 
of  the  President. 

From  this  brilliant  scene  the  President  was  driven 
rapidly  to  the  city,  where  he  took  his  place  in  the  great 
military  and  civic  parade,  which  moved  promptly  at  two 
o'clock  under  the  command  of  Col.  Charles  W.  Gale  as 
grand  marshal,  and  marching  up  Broadway  and  Washing- 
ton street  to  Harland's  corner,  countermarched  to  the  re- 
viewing stand  on  the  east  side  of  Chelsea  Parade. 

In  the  procession  and  on  the  reviewing  stand,  besides 
the  President  and  his  personal  escort,  and  the  Governor  and 
his  staff,  and  the  President  and  Chairman  of  the  executive 
committee,  were  the  town  and  city  officials,  as  follows :  the 
Selectmen  and  Town  Clerk,  the  Mayor,  Aldermen  and  Council- 
men,  the  City  Treasurer,  Tax  Collector  and  Street  Commis- 
sioner. 

It  is  said  that  four  thousand  people  were  in  the  pro- 
cession, which  was  an  hour  in  passing  a  fixed  point.  After 
it  had  marched  in  review  before  the  President,  he  was  pre- 
sented to  the  great  multitude  by  Governor  Frank  B.  Weeks, 
who  said: 

I  congratulate  Norwich  on  its  celebration  and  on  the 
beautiful  weather  for  it.  I  congratulate  the  people  of 
Norwich  and  the  state  of  Connecticut  in  having  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  here  as  your  guest,  and  it  gives 
me  great  pleasure  now  to  introduce  to  you  President 
William  Howard  Taft. 

The    President,    who    was    greeted    with    enthusiastic 
cheers,  said : 
My  friends : 

I  think  it  was  last  year  that  I  had  the  pleasure  of  ad- 
dressing a  Norwich  audience.  Then  I  talked  to  you  on  the 
subject  of  the  Panama  Canal  and  I  promised  to  come  back 
here  at  the  250th  anniversary  of  your  city's  foundation, 
whether  I  was  nominated  and  elected  for  the  Presidency  or 
not.  I  said  that  probably  you  would  not  want  me  if  I  was 
not  elected,  and  I  haven't  had  an  opportunity  to  test  you  on 


PRESIDENT  TAFT'S  ADDRESS.  83 

that.  But  it  is  a  great  pleasure  to  come  back  to  this  beauti- 
ful town.  I  like  to  call  it  a  town  because  while  you  make  a 
distinction  between  the  city  and  the  town,  the  term  town 
suggests  its  wonderful  history.  Well  may  it  be  called  the 
Rose  of  New  England.  Its  beauties  to-day  and  its  sweet 
memories  of  the  past  justify  the  use  of  that  term,  and  if  I 
were  a  Norwich  man  I  should  hug  it  to  my  bosom.  There 
is  something  about  the  town  differing  from  most  towns 
whose  history  I  know,  in  the  individuality  of  the  town  it- 
self. There  are  other  towns  that  have  had  noted  individuals 
who  have  made  history.  Norwich  has  had  noted  individuals 
whose  characters,  continued  through  three  great  crises,  have 
given  a  character  and  an  individuality  to  the  town  itself. 

Major  John  Mason  was  a  great  man  and  he  had  a  son- 
in-law,  James  Fitch,  a  minister  of  the  gospel  in  this  town 
for  forty  years,  who  was  a  good  man ;  and  there  were  in 
those  thirty-five  men  in  whose  name  the  nine  miles  square 
\vere  given  by  Uncas,  men  of  bone  and  sinew  fit  to  meet 
the  tremendous  trials  of  those  early  days. 

Then  you  came  to  the  revolutionary  time  and  you 
were  not  wanting,  for  out  of  the  descendants  of  your  first 
settlers  you  furnished  great  force  to  that  which  was  needed 
to  separate  this  country  from  England.  And  then  again 
in  the  Civil  War  you  furnished  much  more  than  your  quota, 
and  the  names  of  the  men  who  marched  out  from  Norwich 
would  have  done  credit  to  many  a  larger  city  with  a  much 
greater  population  to  draw  from. 

One  of  the  things  that  the  history  of  this  town  suggests 
is  the  character  of  the  government  that  you  had  here  in  the 
early  days.  Like  that  of  the  government  of  other  New  England 
towns,  but  perfect  in  its  way,  it  was  almost  a  theocracy. 
The  minister,  James  Fitch,  was  not  alone  a  minister  of  the 
gospel  as  we  know  him  to-day,  exercising  a  beneficent 
influence  in  the  community,  but  he  spoke  by  authority,  the 
state  was  behind  him,  and  the  men  and  women  of  the  com- 
munity were  obliged  to  conform  to  the  rules  of  morality 
and  life  which  he  laid  down. 


84  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

We  speak  with  great  satisfaction  of  the  fact  that  our 
ancestors — and  I  claim  New  England  ancestry — came  to 
this  country  in  order  to  establish  freedom  of  religion.  Well, 
if  you  are  going  to  be  exact,  they  came  to  this  country  to 
establish  freedom  of  their  religion  and  not  the  freedom  of 
anybody  else's  religion.  The  truth  is  in  those  days-  such 
a  thing  as  freedom  of  religion  was  not  understood.  Eras- 
mus, the  great  Dutch  professor,  one  of  the  most  elegant 
scholars  of  his  day,  did  understand  it  and  did  advocate  it  but 
among  the  denominations  it  certainly  was  not  fully  under- 
stood. We  look  with  considerable  horror  and  with  a  great 
deal  of  condemnation  on  those  particular  denominations 
that  punished  our  ancestors  because  our  ancestors  wished 
to  have  a  different  kind  of  religion,  but  when  our  ancestors 
got  here  in  this  country  and  ruled  they  intended  to  have 
their  own  religion  and  no  other.  But  we  have  passed 
beyond  that  and  out  of  the  friction.  Out  of  the  denomina- 
tional prejudices  in  the  past  we  have  developed  a  freedom 
of  religion  that  came  naturally  and  logically  as  we  went  on 
to  free  institutions.  It  came  from  those  very  men  who 
built  up  your  community  and  made  its  character.  The 
Rev.  James  Fitch  could  not  look  upon  any  other  religion  in 
this  community  with  any  degree  of  patience,  but  his 
descendants,  firm  in  the  faith  as  he  was,  now  see  that  the 
best  way  to  promote  Christianity  and  the  worship  of  God 
and  religion  is  to  let  every  man  worship  God  as  he  chooses. 
This  community  was  well  supervised  by  the  clergy,  and  did 
well  by  the  clergy.  The  Rev.  James  Fitch,  after  fourteen 
years  at  Saybrook,  came  here  and  presided  in  the  First 
Church  for  forty  more  years.  I  have  heard  clergymen  say 
that  after  a  clergyman  passes  his  fiftieth  year  he  ought  to  be 
made  emeritus  and  step  out  of  the  profession.  They  did 
not  say  so  in  those  days.  There  was  an  authority  about  a 
minister  of  the  gospel  that  meant  a  good  deal  more  than 
mere  persuasiveness,  and  the  clergyman's  authority  is  one 
that  seems  to  cultivate  a  long  life. 

The  Rev.  James  Fitch  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Benjamin 
Lord  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Strong,  all  of  the  same 


PRESIDENT  TAFT'S  ADDRESS.  85 

church,  and  the  Doctors  Lord  and  Strong  presided  together, 
including  six  years  when  they  were  both  ministers  of  this 
town,  one  hundred  and  seventeen  years.  Now  think  of 
the  influence  in  a  community  of  God-fearing  men  with  force 
of  character,  with  power  to  condemn  wrong  and  uphold 
right,  and  then  you  can  understand,  how  Norwich  has  sur- 
vived and  preserved  an  individuality. 

Major  Mason  was  a  statesman.  He  was  deputy 
governor.  His  chief  was  Governor  Winthrop  and  Governor 
Winthrop,  while  Major  Mason  presided  over  the  colony  of 
Connecticut,  went  to  London  and  found  King  Charles  the  II 
in  such  good  humor  that  he  got  that  far-famed  charter  to 
Connecticut.  They  said  that  Charles  II  was  a  monarch  who 
never  said  a  foolish  thing  and  never  did  a  wise  one.  Whethei 
it  was  wise  for  him  or  not,  the  charter  of  Connecticut  that 
he  gave,  with  its  principles  of  free  institutions  and  its  lati- 
tude to  the  people  of  Connecticut  in  carrying  on  their 
goverment,  was  certainly  from  our  standpoint  a  wise  act, 
and  I  don't  wonder  that  when  they  tried  to  get  it  away 
they  put  it  in  that  oak  where  it  was  not  found. 

The  truth  is,  my  dear  friends,  we  hear  a  great  deal  of 
discussion  of  free  government  and  references  made  to  the 
declaration  of  independence  which  this  day  celebrates.  And 
some  people  so  construe  that  instrument  that  they  would 
make  it  mean  that  any  body  of  men  or  children  or  women 
are  born  with  the  instinct  of  self-government  so  that  they 
can  frame  a  government  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  talk. 
Now,  that  is  not  true.  Self-government  has  been  fought 
out  in  the  history  of  this  world  and  by  certain  races  has 
been  hammered  out  by  a  thousand  years  of  struggle  and 
men  have  taught  themselves  how  to  govern  themselves. 
Men  are  not  fit  to  govern  themselves  until  they  have  sense 
and  self-restraint  enough  to  know  what  is  their  interest  and 
to  give  every  other  man  all  that  is  coming  to  him  according 
to  right  and  justice. 

Now,  what  is  true  with  respect,  therefore,  to  our  ances- 
tors is  now  true  with  respect  to  many  races  in  this  world. 
They  have  to  be  led  on  and  taught  the  principle  and  lesson 


86  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

of  self-government.  But  our  ancestors,  by  a  wise  negligence 
in  the  home  government  for  nearly  two  hundred  years,  came 
to  be  the  best  prepared  people  there  were  in  the  world  for 
self-government.  Take  the  town  of  Norwich  and  see  how 
those  thirty-five  men  and  the  people  who  followed  them 
made  up  a  government;  how  they  were  conscious  of  the 
responsibility  that  they  took  upon  themselves  when  they 
attempted  a  government  themselves,  and  how  they  carried 
on  an  orderly  government,  a  government  of  liberty,  regu- 
lated by  law.  So  it  was  in  every  town  in  the  thirteen 
colonies.  They  were  all  men  of  strength  of  individuality, 
of  self-restraint,  and  they  knew  what  it  cost  to  build  up  a 
government  and  maintain  it ;  and  when  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1776,  they  declared  their  independence  of  Great  Britain, 
they  did  it  with  reluctance  and  with  hesitation  because  they 
knew  the  tremendous  burden  on  their  backs,  and  they  knew 
the  responsibilities  that  they  owed  to  the  world  and  that 
they  owed  to  the  people  for  whom  they  were  making  the 
declaration. 

No  better  example  of  the  character  of  those  men  who 
made  that  declaration  of  independence  and  who  subsequent- 
ly framed  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  could  be 
found  than  right  here  among  your  representatives  of  the 
town  of  Norwich.  Your  selectmen,  your  leaders,  had  the 
education  and  the  experience  that  fitted  them,  as  all  the 
Americans  of  that  day  were  fitted,  to  organize  and  maintain 
a  civil  government  and  preserve  the  free  institutions  and 
liberty  regulated  by  law. 

Now  you  have  stood  and  looked  at  the  procession  so 
long  that  your  eyes  are  strained  and  I  do  not  mean  to  strain 
your  ears.  I  wish  again  to  testify  to  the  profound  pleasure 
I  have  had  in  studying  the  history  of  the  town  of  Norwich, 
of  going  over  the  characters  of  your  great  men  and  of 
realizing  that  the  strength  of  your  community — the  char- 
acter of  your  community — is  in  the  character  of  the  men 
that  made  it  up ;  and  I  doubt  not  that  right  here  under  these 
beautiful  elms,  and  in  these  houses,  so  many  of  which 
preserve  the  memories  of  the  past,  there  is  the  same  respect 


Calvin  H.   Frisbie's  automobile. — First   Prize. 


C.    Morgan    Williams'    automobile. — Second   Prize. 


THIRD  DAY  OF  CELEBRATION.  8/ 

for  virtue,  for  individual  character,  for  honesty,  for  freedom 
and  for  law  that  was  left  to  you  as  a  legitimate  legacy  from 
the  ancestors  whose  memory  you  honor  to-day. 

At  the  conclusion  of  his  address  the  President,  accom- 
panied by  the  Governor  and  his  staff,  was  escorted  to  the 
Buckingham  Memorial,  where  he  held  a  public  reception  for 
an  hour  in  the  large  parlor,  while  Hatch's  band  of  Hartford, 
played  patriotic  airs  in  front  of  the  building.  Among  the 
two  thousand  people  who  paid  their  respects  were  United 
States  Senators  Bulkeley  and  Brandegee  and  Representative 
Higgins.  After  this  ceremony  he  returned  to  the  home  of 
Mr.  Williams  for  a  family  dinner  party,  and,  after  witness- 
ing from  Jail  hill  the  display  of  fire-works,  was  driven 
quietly  to  the  special  night  train  that  conveyed  him  to  New 
York  en  route  for  the  ter-centenary  celebration  on  Lake 
Champlain. 

In  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  John  Mitchell,  as  the  guest 
of  the  Central  Labor  Union,  was  applauded  at  several 
points  in  the  procession,  in  which  he  appeared  as  the  head 
of  the  representatives  of  organized  labor,  and  afterwards  he 
delivered  an  address  at  the  band  stand  in  Union  Square 
before  an  audience  of  several  hundred  persons,  to  whom 
he  was  presented  by  Dr.  Harriman. 

A  magnificent  display  of  fire-works  on  Rogers  hill 
opposite  the  railroad  station  closed  the  second  day  of  the 
Norwich  quarter-millennial  celebration. 

The  public  events  of  the  third  and  last  day  of  the 
celebration  began  at  half  past  eight  o-clock  with  an  exhibi- 
tion drill  and  parade  by  the  fire  department  under  Fire 
Chief  Howard  L.  Stanton,  and  an  automobile  parade  an 
hour  later.  These  events  interested  a  large  number  of 
spectators  who  thronged  the  principal  streets. 

Memorial  Fountain. 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth 
anniversary  was  the  presentation  by  Faith  Trumbull  chap- 


88  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

ter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  to  the  city  of  a 
memorial  drinking  fountain  of  Westerly  granite,  in  com- 
memoration of  the  gift  of  the  Little  Plain  to  the  city  of 
Norwich  by  Capt.  Hezekiah  Perkins  and  Hon.  Jabez  Hunt- 
ington,  in  1811.  There  was  a  pleasing  order  of  exercises 
attending  the  presentation,  which  were  enjoyed  by  fully 
2,000  people.  On  an  elevated  platform  were  past  state 
regents,  those  who  took  part  in  the  exercises,  and  Jonathan 
Trumbull  and  Gen.  William  A.  Aiken.  Directly  in  front 
were  chairs  for  the  members  of  Faith  Trumbull  chapter  and 
visiting  Daughters,  and  chairs  were  reserved  for  Governor 
Weeks  and  his  staff. 

The  regular  exercises  were  commenced  with  rendition 
of  the  "Star  Spangled  Banner,"  which  was  followed  with 
an  invocation  by  Rev.  Lewellyn  Pratt,  D.D. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  B.  Buel  of  Litchfield,  the  state  regent, 
then  extended  greeting  in  part  as  follows: 
Madame  Regent,  Madame  Honorary  State  Regent,  mem- 
bers of  Faith  Trumbull  chapter,  citizens  of  Norwich  and 
guests : 

It  is  my  happy  privilege  to-day  to  bring  greetings  from 
the  Connecticut  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  to 
Faith  Trumbull  chapter  and  to  ancient  Norwich  on  this 
impressive  occasion.  To  reach  the  distinction  of  a  25oth 
anniversary  has  not  yet  been  the  good  fortune  of  many  of 
our  towns,  though  we  trust  that  it  is  in  store  for  all,  even 
as  many  a  happy  couple  looks  forward  to  some  golden 
wedding  as  the  culmination  of  a  long  life  of  good  deeds. 

It  only  remains  to  offer  my  heart-felt  congratulations 
to  beautiful  Norwich  upon  this  event  so  soon  to  become 
one  of  the  brightest  pages  in  her  already  notable  history, 
and  to  say  to  Faith  Trumbull  chapter,  Ye  have  fought  the 
good  fight  of  faith — faith  in  the  principles  of  that  society 
which  you  are  honoring  in  your  patriotic  action  of  to-day; 
faith  in  the  principles  of  human  generosity  and  unselfishness 
which  you  are  memorializing  to-day;  and  faith  in  all  those 
qualities  that  made  Faith  Trumbull  a  woman  to  be  loved, 


PRESENTATION   OF  FOUNTAIN.  89 

a  patriot  to  be  honored,  and  an  example  to  be  followed ;  and 
thus,  in  your  high  endeavors  does  Faith  Trumbull  live  again 
in  these  her  Daughters — fighting  even  yet  the  good  fight  of 
faith. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Mrs.  Buel's  greeting  Ebenezer 
Learned  sang  the  "Connecticut  State  Hymn,"  written  by  the 
blind  composer,  Fanny  J.  Crosby,  and  adopted  by  the  state 
legislature  as  the  state  hymn.  The  assemblage  joined  in 
the  chorus  and  Hatch's  band  accompanied. 

Presentation  of  Fountain. 

Mrs.  Ellen  M.  R.  Bishop  made  the  presentation  of  the 
fountain  to  the  city  through  Mayor  Costello  Lippitt,  and 
said: 

Honorable  Costello  Lippitt,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Norwich, 
and  Friends: 

Representing  the  members  of  Faith  Trumbull  chapter, 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  it  is  my  privilege 
in  their  name  to  present  to  the  city  of  Norwich,  through  you, 
its  representative,  this  memorial  fountain. 

The  national  society  of  the  D.  A.  R.  was  organized 
eighteen  years  ago  for  patriotic,  historical  and  educational 
purposes.  Inspired  by  the  high  ideals  of  the  society  to 
which  it  belongs,  Faith  Trumbull  chapter  has  continued  the 
work  which  was  inaugurated  in  Norwich  by  its  former 
citizens  who  erected  monuments  to  the  memory  of  Capt. 
John  Mason,  Uncas,  Miantonomo,  and  to  the  donors  of 
Chelsea  Parade — Joseph  Perkins,  Thomas  Fanning  and 
Joshua  Lathrop. 

We  have,  with  the  invaluable  aid  of  the  late  George  S. 
Porter,  been  able  to  identify  and  mark  the  last  resting  place 
of  the  little  band  of  French  soldiers  who  came  to  this 
country  as  a  part  of  the  army  of  General  Lafayette  and  who 
were  buried  in  unmarked  and  almost  forgotten  graves  at 
Norwich  Town. 

We  have  placed  upon  enduring  bronze  the  names  of 
the  Revolutionary  soldiers  whose  dust  lies  in  the  Old  Bury- 


9O  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

ing  Ground.  We  have  also  marked  in  granite  some  of  the 
historic  Revolutionary  houses,  and  now  we  have  put  in 
permanent  form  our  tribute  to  the  memory  of  two  men 
whose  deed  of  generosity  in  the  year  1811  had  at  least  few 
duplicates.  It  is  comparatively  easy  to  follow  where  others 
lead,  but  Hezekiah  Perkins  and  Jabez  Huntington  were 
among  those  who  led  that  others  might  follow. 

Though  but  the  brief  space  of  one  hundred  years  has 
elapsed  since  they  gave  this  land  to  Norwich,  we  find  it 
difficult  to  gather  many  facts  about  their  daily  lives. 

They  lived  as  respected  citizens  in  the  two  houses  at 
our  left,  now  occupied  by  Mrs.  Charles  M.  Coit  and  Mrs.  H. 
H.  Osgood,  and  their  descendants  bear  testimony  that  they 
were  Christian  men,  and  the  records  show  that  they  were 
men  of  business  ability,  Jabez  Huntington  being  the  second 
president  of  the  Norwich  Savings  Society,  which  after  the 
lapse  of  one  hundred  years  is  so  ably  represented  here 
to-day  in  the  person  of  Mayor  Lippitt.  But  the  deed  of 
generosity  which  gave  to  Norwich  this  open  space  will  be 
their  memorial  when  other  facts  concerning  their  lives  are 
forgotten. 

How  far-reaching  their  influence  has  been,  none  can 
tell;  the  same  spirit  that  prompted  them  to  benefit  their 
native  town  has  also  influenced  other  citizens  to  give  Laurel 
Hill  park,  the  large  tract  of  land  now  known  as  Mohegan 
park,  and  the  fair  Lowthorpe  meadows. 

Magnificent  gifts  have  been  made  all  over  the  land  for 
park  purposes,  but  we  place  our  memorial  fountain 
reverently  upon  this  little  plot  given  by  men  who  were 
among  the  pioneers  in  this  movement. 

While  we  perpetuate  the  memory  of  these  two  whose 
love  for  their  fellow  men  prompted  this  gift,  let  us,  as  we 
enjoy  this  grateful  shade,  not  forget  George  B.  Ripley,  who 
lived  in  the  third  house  below  at  our  left,  now  occupied  by 
his  daughters,  the  Misses  Ripley.  He  too,  loved  his  fellow 
men  and  with  desire  to  serve  them  outlined  the  park  with 
young  trees,  thus  beautifying  the  gift  of  Mr.  Perkins  and 
Mr.  Huntington. 


MAYOR   LIPPITT'S   RESPONSE.  9! 

We  as  a  chapter  in  this  public  way  wish  to  thank  all 
of  our  friends  and  the  descendants  of  these  two  gentlemen 
who  have  contributed  liberally  toward  our  fountain  fund, 
and  we  would  also  thank  Mayor  Lippitt  and  the  city  officials 
who  have  on  this  25oth  anniversary  set  young  trees  to  re- 
place those  planted  by  Mr.  Ripley  which  are  now  suffering 
from  blight  and  must  soon  die. 

Fifty  years  hence,  when  others  gather  under  the  shade 
of  these  trees  as  we  do  to-day,  may  they  receive  fresh  in- 
spiration from  us,  as  we  from  those  who  have  preceded  us, 
and  so  the  influence  of  those  who  have  gone  before  repeat 
itself  for  good  in  the  generations  to  follow. 

Miss  Mary  Lanman  Huntington,  grand-daughter  of 
Jabez  Huntington,  and  Miss  Helen  Lathrop  Perkins,  great 
grand-daughter  of  Hezekiah  Perkins,  then  proceeded  to 
the  fountain,  about  three  hundred  feet  from  the  speakers' 
stand,  and  removing  the  stars  and  stripes,  revealed  the 
granite  fountain  with  bubbling  drinking  tubes  and  with 
drinking  bowls  on  the  lower  sides  for  dogs  and  birds. 

This  ceremony  over,  Mrs.  Bishop,  continuing,  said : 
Mayor  Lippitt :  In  your  custody  and  that  of  the  city  of 
Norwich  we  place  our  memorial  fountain.  May  it,  like 
this  open  space  and  these  trees,  prove  a  blessing  to  the 
children  who  play  here  from  early  spring  to  late  fall;  to 
the  visitors  who  come  in  increasing  numbers  to  our  city  and 
loiter  in  this  park;  to  the  lovers  who  occupy  its  benches, 
and  to  those  who  come  from  the  heated  quarters  of  the 
town  and  spend  their  summer  evenings  here. 

It  is  not  a  large  gift  which  we  leave  with  you  to-day, 
but  we  hope  that  in  the  dispensing  of  one  of  God's  free  gtlts 
to  the  public  it  may  bring  unalloyed  comfort. 

Mayor  Lippitt  accepted  the  gift  in  behalf  of  the  city  in 
the  following  words: 
Mrs.  Bishop  and  Ladies  of  Faith  Trumbull  Chapter: 

We  rejoice  that  there  are  not  only  "Sons"  but  also 
"Daughters"  of  the  American  Revolution,  equally  patriotic 


92  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

the  one  with  the  other;  and  that  in  these  "piping  times  of 
peace,"  when  there  are  no  rude  alarms  of  war,  no  call  for 
them  to  make  clothing  and  send  supplies  to  the  soldiers  at 
the  front  or  nurse  the  sick  and  wounded  in  hospitals,  they 
can  and  do  commemorate  their  illustrious  deeds  in  enduring 
bronze  and  granite. 

That  also  they  recognize  the  service  of  those  public 
spirited  citizens  who  with  generous  forethought  have  long 
ago  learned  the  great  truth  that  the  highest  happiness  to 
be  gotten  out  of  life  is  secured  by  contributing  to  the  com- 
fort and  happiness  of  others. 

With  that  purpose  you  have  gathered  here  to-day  to 
perpetuate  with  this  beautiful  fountain,  in  close  proximity 
to  their  former  homes,  the  memory  of  those  honored 
citizens,  Hezekiah  Perkins  and  Jabez  Huntington,  who  gave 
this  "open  space"  for  the  comfort  and  enjoyment  of  present 
and  future  generations. 

In  the  name  and  in  behalf  of  the  city  of  Norwich,  which 
I  have  the  distinguished  honor  to  represent,  I  gratefully 
accept  your  beautiful  and  appropriate  memorial  gift,  with 
the  assurance  that  it  will  be  to  all  who  shall  hereafter  enjoy 
its  "unalloyed  comfort"  not  only  a  perpetual  reminder  of 
the  generous  donors  of  this  Little  Plain  but  also  of  the 
loyalty  and  patriotic  zeal  of  the  ladies  of  Faith  Trumbull 
Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution. 

Rev.  Edwin  W.  Bishop,  D.D.,  a  native  of  Norwich,  now 
of  Oak  Park,  111.,  was  presented  by  the  Regent  of  Faith 
Trumbull  chapter,  and  said,  in  part: 

Madame  Regent,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
Fellow  Countrymen  and  Fellow  Townsmen : 

These  days  through  which  we  are  now  passing  are  full 
of  intense  interest  to  every  inhabitant  and  to  every  native 
son  and  daughter  of  this  beautiful  city,  rightly  called  "The 
Rose  of  New  England."  With  its  princely  streets  and 
stately  elms — alas!  that  so  many  which  used  to  be  yonder 
are  no  more — with  its  dignified  homes,  with  its  magnificent 
schools  and  with  its  splendid  traditions  that  root  back  into 


REV.  DR.  BISHOP  S  ADDRESS.  93 

a  great  historic  past,  Norwich  is  the  fond  mother  of  proud 
sons  and  daughters  who  at  this  time  throng  back  to  do  her 
honor  and  reverence. 

Fellow  townsmen,  I  bring  to  you  to-day  the  greetings 
of  the  great  west  as  voiced  in  the  well  known  words  of 
Kipling: 

Oh  the  east  is  east  and  the  west  is  west 
And  never  the  twain  shall  meet, 

Till  earth  and  sky  stand  presently  before  God's  judgment 
seat. 

But  there  is  neither  east  nor  west, 
Nor  border,  nor  breed,  nor  birth, 
When  two  strong  men  stand  face  to  face, 
Though  they  come  from  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

Norwich  has  been  particularly  favored  in  the  past  by 
numbering  among  its  citizens  a  goodly  fellowship  of  public 
spirited  men.  Such  time  honored  names  as  Perkins,  Hunt- 
ington,  Blackstone,  Lanman,  Slater  and  many  others  would 
have  been  a  goodly  heritage  for  any  city.  These  men  were 
not  satisfied  merely  to  live  in  the  present,  but  they  builded 
for  the  future.  They  were  men  of  vision ;  and  true  states- 
manship, whether  national  or  local,  is  always  a  result  of 
vision,  for  where  there  is  no  vision,  according  to  a  very  old 
book,  the  people  perish.  Given  vision,  however,  and  untold 
generations  will  rise  up  and  call  you  blessed. 

One  of  the  crowning  glories  of  Norwich  is  that  it  has 
had  men  of  vision.  We  are  standing  on  a  little  plot  of 
ground  familiarly  known  as  the  Little  Plain.  We  may  not 
all  be  aware  that  we  are  here  to-day  because  of  the  vision 
of  two  public  spirited  citizens  in  the  hoary  past — Captain 
Hezekiah  Perkins  and  Jabez  Huntington — who  were 
pioneers  in  a  movement  which  has  resulted  in  large  gifts  of 
land  for  similar  purposes  since.  Up  at  the  end  of  this  street 
stands  an  institution  of  which  every  citizen  and  son  of 
Norwich  is  proud.  She  may  not  be  the  greatest  in  Israel, 
but  along  with  Daniel  Webster  referring  to  Dartmouth 
College,  there  be  those  of  us  that  have  reason  to  love  her. 
Many  of  us  have  lit  our  lamps  with  her  oil  and  fed  at  her 


94  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

table.  Why  this  Free  Academy  with  her  honored  traditions 
and  inspiring  history?  Because  of  the  vision  quality  in  Dr. 
John  P.  Gulliver  and  others  with  him  who  saw  and  dared  to 
follow  what  they  saw — a  vision ! 

Here  on  this  Little  Plain  which  has  not  echoed  to  the 
tramp  of  armed  feet  so  much  as  the  Great  Plain  yonder, 
dedicated  therefore  in  the  atmosphere  of  peace  for  the  pur- 
poses of  peace,  the  Faith  Trumbull  chapter  of  the  Daughters 
of  the  American  Revolution  have  conceived  in  vision  of 
this  added  aesthetic  attraction  to  the  public  architecture  of 
Norwich,  while  at  the  same  time  ministering  to  our  humble 
creature  needs.  It  is  altogether  fitting  that  this  memorial 
to  Captain  Hezekiah  Perkins  and  Jabez  Huntington, 
planned  by  women,  should  be  just  what  it  is,  not  a  statue 
or  a  memorial  window,  but  a  fountain  of  generosity  which 
will  stand  here,  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister 
and  to  give  of  its  cool  delights  for  the  service  of  many. 
And  to  me  not  the  least  significant  feature  is  the  provision 
whereby  not  only  mankind  but  also  the  small  animal  may 
slake  his  thirst. 

Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  may  the 
knowledge  that  you  have  ministered  to  the  needs  of  even  the 
humblest  of  earth's  creatures  be  to  you  a  source  of  genuine 
satisfaction. 

As  I  come  back  to  my  native  heath  from  time  to  time, 
and  especially  as  I  come  back  this  time,  I  am  reminded  that, 
like  the  Apostle  Paul,  I  too  was  once  a  citizen  of  no  mean 
city! 

From  Greeneville  to  the  West  Side  and  from  Laurel 
Hill  to  Norwich  Town,  may  the  name  of  old  Norwich  be 
kept  ever  bright  because  the  visions  of  her  sons  shall  equal 
the  visions  of  their  sires  and  the  virtue  and  the  service  of 
her  daughters  shall  be  in  no  wise  inferior  to  the  virtues 
and  the  service  of  the  matrons  of  the  past !  God  bless  the 
state  of  Connecticut,  and  doubly  bless  old  Norwich ! 

The  closing  address  by  Mrs.  Sara  T.  Kinney  of  Hart- 
ford, honorary  state  regent  of  the  Connecticut  Society, 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  was  as  follows: 


MRS.  KIXNEY  S  ADDRESS.  95 

Madame  Regent,  Members  and  Guests  of  Faith  Trumbull 
Chapter : 

The  Rose  of  New  England  is  abloom  to-day.  Every 
gift  of  grace,  color  and  fragrance  is  hers  without  reserva- 
tion. Pomp  and  ceremony  are  also  hers — the  blare  of  trum- 
pets, the  roll  of  drums,  the  boom  of  cannon,  the  peal  of 
bells,  the  stately  tramp,  tramp  of  the  uniformed  hosts — arc 
all  for  Her.  The  president  of  the  United  States  and  the 
governor  of  our  commonwealth  have  honored  the  occasion 
with  their  presence — distinguished  men  and  women  from  far 
and  near  are  here  to  rejoice  with  this  radiant  Rose.  In 
prayer,  speech  and  song  a  great  historical  event  has  been 
celebrated  and  consecrated,  and  last,  but  not  least,  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  have  added  their 
tribute  of  remembrance  for  yesterday,  of  rejoicing  for, 
to-day,  and  of  refreshment  for  to-morrow. 

The  past,  the  present  and  the  future  are  each  repre- 
sented in  the  gift  which  Faith  Trumbull  chapter,  Daughters 
of  the  American  Revolution,  presents  this  morning  to  its 
beloved  Rose. 

This  memorial  fountain  is  a  very  gracious  gift  to  the 
town  from  the  Daughters  of  Norwich,  and  it  signifies  to 
us  the  affection  of  Faith  Trumbull  chapter  for  the  home  of 
its  birth.  It  also  marks  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  town. 
It  is  a  worthy  example  of  what  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution  are  doing  all  through  the  land,  and  especially 
right  here  in  Connecticut,  in  accentuating  the  raison  d'etre 
of  our  organization.  For  250  years  Norwich  has  been 
making  history,  and  the  time  has  now  come  for  marking 
history,  lest  future  generations  forget.  I  am  not  here  to 
voice  the  gratitude  of  Norwich  to  Faith  Trumbull  chapter 
for  this  notable  gift,  nor  am  I  to  speak,  more  than  briefly, 
of  the  pride  and  pleasure  which  every  Connecticut  "Daugh- 
ter" feels  in  this  achievement.  But  I  do  regard  myself 
as  a  committee  of  one  to  express  to  the  chapter  the  appre- 
ciation and  gratitude  for  this  kindly  and  generous  thought 
for  their  comfort,  of  our  feathered  friends,  who  will  later 


96  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

on  sing  your  praises  in  their  own  fashion ;  and  of  our  truest, 
most  loving  and  most  lovable  four-footed  friends,  "The 
little  dogs — Tray,  Blanch  and  Sweetheart,"  also  the  "Mas- 
tiff, Greyhound,  Mongrel,  Grim,  Hound,  or  Spaniel,  brach 
or  lym,  or  bobtail  tyke,  or  trundle-tail." 

They  are  all  friends  of  mine  and,  as  they  are  not  repre- 
sented on  to-day's  programme  I  am  taking  it  upon  myself 
to  try  and  make  clear  to  you  the  gratitude  which  fills  their 
hearts  for  this  cool,  life  saving  bounty  which  you  have  pro- 
vided for  them.  "This  is  the  goblet  from  whose  brink,  all 
creatures  that  have  life  must  drink." 

Therefore,  Madam  Regent,  in  behalf  of  those  who 
speak  a  language  strange  to  us,  but  who  wear  the  unmis- 
takable insignia  of  friendliness  and  loyalty  to  man  and 
womankind,  I  tender  to  Faith  Trumbull  chapter  the  thanks 
for  this  gift  to  them,  of  the  birds  of  the  air,  and  the  four- 
footed  guardians  and  lovers  of  our  homes. 

We  do  not  forget  Faith  Trumbull's  commemorative 
achievements  in  past  years — the  marking  of  historic  sites, 
the  monument  to  our  French  allies  in  the  Revolutionary 
War,  and  the  memorial  gates  at  the  entrance  of  the  God's 
acre  where  those  patriots  sleep  their  last  sleep. 

Faith  Trumbull  Chapter  is  living  up  to  its  high  and 
happy  privileges  as  a  commemorative,  historical  and  patri- 
otic organization,  and  over  and  over  again  has  it  justified  its 
right  to  continued  existence  as  such  an  organization.  It  is 
also  justified  in  congratulating  itself  and  in  inviting  the 
congratulations  of  its  friends  upon  having  become  an 
ackowledged  factor  for  good  in  this  community. 

The  society  which  we  have  the  honor  to  represent — the 
largest  patriotic,  hereditary  society  in  the  world — was 
organized  for  a  definite  purpose.  It  is  not  a  social  club,  but 
has  a  well  defined  mission  of  its  own,  which  includes,  among 
other  things,  the  duty  of  keeping  green  the  memory  of  the 
spirit  of  the  heroes  and  heroines  who  achieved  American 
independence,  and  of  emblazoning  their  names  upon  the 


LITERARY  EXERCISES.  97 

walls  of  the  Hall  of  Fame  which  each  of  us  has  erected  with- 
in our  own  heart.  To  set  for  ourselves  a  high  standard  of 
personal  and  social  ethics,  to  save  history,  to  inculcate  the 
principles  of  a  Christian  patriotism  in  the  hearts  of  the  peo- 
ple— to  do  all  we  can  and  may  do  to  make  this  a  country 
with  a  conscience — these  are  among  the  things  that  Daugh- 
ters of  the  American  Revolution  accept  as  a  large  part  of  the 
mission  imposed  upon  them  by  their  heritage  of  noble  blood, 
and  by  their  unwritten  vows  when  they  place  their  names 
upon  the  long  and  ever  growing  muster-roll  of  those  who 
are  descended  from  the  makers  of  a  mighty  nation. 

The  exercises  on  the  Little  Plain  closed  with  the  sing- 
ing of  "America,"  with  band  accompaniment. 

Literary  Exercises. 

The  literary  exercises  of  the  celebration  were  held  at 
the  Broadway  Theater  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  when  a  large 
audience  listened  with  interest  to  the  unfolding  of  Norwich 
history  by  the  orators  of  the  day. 

Seated  upon  the  stage  with  the  general  chairman  of 
the  celebration,  Hon.  Winslow  T.  Williams,  who  was  presi- 
dent of  the  day,  were  the  three  speakers — President  Harry 
A.  Garfield  of  Williams  college,  Judge  Samuel  O.  Prentice 
of  Hartford  and  Arthur  L.  Shipman  of  Hartford ;  Principal 
H.  A.  Tirrell,  Mayor  Costello  Lippitt,  Dr.  Samuel  H.  Howe, 
First  Selectman  A.  D.  Lathrop,  A.  L.  Comstock,  Executive 
Committee  Chairman  Edwin  A.  Tracy  and  Fire  Chief 
Howard  L.  Stanton. 

The  choir  of  seventy  voices,  directed  by  Frederick  W. 
Lester,  and  the  Harmony  club  for  the  orchestra,  were  also 
seated  upon  the  stage,  and  the  latter  opened  the  programme 
with  a  well  rendered  selection. 

The  introductory  address  was  made  by  President 
Williams  as  follows: 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  Sons  and  Daughters  of  dear  old 
Norwich,  who  this  day  welcomes  home  her  children: 


98  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

On  behalf  of  the  general  committee  of  more  than  250 
citizens  chosen  by  a  mass  meeting  of  this  town,  I  have  the 
distinguished  honor  of  being  the  official  head  of  this  celebra- 
tion and  the  great  pleasure  of  presiding  at  this  meeting. 

I  realize,  as  we  all  do,  the  local,  state  and  national  im- 
portance of  the  historical  events  which  we  are  celebrating, 
and  the  pride  and  gratification  we  feel  at  being,  by  ties  of 
blood,  residence  and  love,  connected  with  this  ancient  town 
and  unique  city. 

This  quarter  millennium  of  the  founding  of  the  town  of 
Norwich  by  John  Mason  and  his  hardy  company  of  35,  and 
these  exercises  commemorative  thereof  are  of  the  deepest 
interest  and  significance.  There  is  scarcely  a  community 
in  this  wide  country,  north,  east,  west  and  south,  from 
Maine  to  California,  from  Florida  to  Washington,  in  Alaska, 
our  insular  possessions  in  the  blue  Pacific  and  in  the  West 
Indies,  but  has  at  least  one  voice  claiming  common  heritage 
with  us,  and  reverence,  gratitude  and  pride  toward  all  those 
who  have  gone  before  and  left  their  mark  in  the  250  years 
of  struggle,  adversity  and  success,  on  this  age  and  genera- 
tion and  on  this  hallowed  and  historic  ground. 

This  is  an  epoch-making  age  and  generation,  and  this 
town  has  borne  no  small  part  in  the  development  of  these 
United  States. 

The  sons  and  daughters  Norwich  has  sent  out  who 
have  carved  for  themselves  names  of  honor  and  national 
repute  are  too  many  to  record  here.  Many  states  and  cities 
look  on  Norwich  as  grandchildren  on  their  grandmother, 
giving  her  the  honor  due  her  age  and  experience.  This 
grandmother  shows  to-day  by  her  beauty  and  perennial 
charms  that  her  heart  is  still  young,  taking  her  honors 
lightly,  loving  and  loved  by  all. 

Each  succeeding  generation  has  left  its  mark,  and  what 
our  fathers  have  accomplished  we  can  carry  on  with  in- 
creased impetus  and  add  yet  other  laurel  wreaths  of  success 
to  those  which  commemorate  the  progress  toward  the  ful- 
filment of  all  that  Norwich  is  destined  to  achieve. 


MR.  WILLIAMS  S  ADDRESS.  99 

We  may  well  congratulate  ourselves  on  the  exceptional 
mark  of  interest  the  president  of  the  United  States,  William 
H.  Taft,  has  shown  by  his  visit  on  this  occasion.  The 
presence  of  the  governor  of  this  state  and  so  many  dis- 
tinguished guests  gives  added  lustre  and  dignity  to  our 
celebration. 

Our  minds  are  crowded  with  the  wonderful  scenes 
these  hills  have  witnessed.  Ages  long  before  the  fabled 
beauties  of  this  country  were  whispered  by  the  Indians  to 
the  white  men,  stirring  scenes  took  place. 

The  early  history  of  the  settlement  is  full  of  historic 
tableaux.  The  struggles  and  sacrifices  of  Norwich  during 
the  Revolutionary  period  are  engraved  in  letters  of  gold  on 
her  escutcheon.  Norwich's  noble  reply  to  her  country's 
demands  at  the  time  of  her  threatened  disruption  are  so 
recent  as  to  be  familiar  to  us  all. 

And  to-day  we  gather  together  to  unite  in  this  memo- 
rial celebration,  looking  backward  upon  its  cherished  his- 
tory and  forward  with  clear  eye  to  the  future  and  all  its 
promises. 

The  year  1659  was  a  memorable  one  in  the  history  of 
this  town.  Our  speakers  this  afternoon  will  tell  us  the 
thrilling  and  honorable  history  of  the  Rose  of  New  England. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  in  thinking  of  the  half  century  since  our 
last  celebration,  our  minds  are  rilled  with  awe  at  our  won- 
derful development  in  arts,  industries  and  education,  and 
in  the  fast  pace  set  us  by  the  world's  incomparable  progress 
and  inventions  I  believe  we  can  still  hold  our  own. 

Many  of  the  honored  names  of  two  and  a  half  centuries 
are  still  with  us,  and  added  thereto  are  many  younger 
names  in  this  great  country  who  are  winning  fame  and 
honor. 

American  stock  and  the  best  of  our  adopted  sons  and 
daughters,  forming  a  new  American  heraldry,  will  still 
support  and  cherish  American  prestige,  Connecticut  tradi- 
tion and  Norwich  destiny. 

This  address  was  followed  by  the  anthem,  "Great  and 
Wonderful  Are  Thy  Works"  (Spohr),  beautifully  sung  by 


IOO  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

the  choir.    The  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  H.  Howe  followed  with  the 
reading  of  the  Scripture  and  prayer. 

Words  of  welcome  were  extended  by  Mayor  Lippitt, 
who  spoke  as  follows: 
Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

Though  it  seems  somewhat  irregular  and  quite  out  of 
the  usual  course  to  welcome  guests  to  whom  we  have 
already  said  farewell,  it  certainly  would  be  a  cause  for 
lasting  regret  were  we  to  fail  to  express  our  appreciation 
of  the  visit  to  our  ancient  town  and  city  of  the  president  of 
the  United  States  and  the  governor  of  Connecticut,  both  of 
whom,  in  response  to  our  invitation,  at  considerable  incon- 
venience to  themselves,  laid  aside  the  engrossing  cares  of 
nation  and  state  that  they  might  grace  this  anniversary 
occasion  by  their  presence. 

While  we  feel  confident  that  the  cordial  greetings  of 
yesterday  and  the  universal  manifestation  of  regard  ex- 
tended by  the  people  was  to  them  a  sure  recognition  of  the 
distinguished  honor  conferred  upon  us,  we  yet  feel  con- 
strained to  add  our  word  of  welcome,  at  this  time,  that 
there  may  be  a  permanent  record  of  the  fact  of  their  visit 
to  us,  and  a  due  expression  of  our  gratitude  therefor. 

And  what  shall  we  say  of  our  other  guests  who  have 
come  and  gone.  The  midshipmen  of  our  navy,  the  Putnam 
Phalanx,  the  Governor's  Foot  Guard,  the  United  States 
regulars,  and  other  organizations  that  helped  to  make  up 
the  magnificent  pageant  of  yesterday !  To  all  these  we  say 
"Hail  and  farewell." 

To  these  distinguished  guests  to  whom  we  are  about 
to  listen,  sons  or  "near-sons"  of  Norwich,  who  come  with 
greetings  from  college  halls,  business  office  and  court  room, 
we  extend  a  most  cordial  welcome,  and  we  are  deeply  grate- 
ful for  their  willingness  to  add  so  largely  to  the  interest 
and  success  of  this  occasion.  We  realize  that  it  is  no  small 
matter  for  men  just  closing  the  busiest  time  of  the  year, 
without  rest  or  recuperation,  to  undertake  the  service  they 
so  cheerfully  render,  and  so  all  the  more  we  desire  to  ex- 
press our  appreciation  therefor. 


MAYOR  LIPPITT  S  ADDRESS.  IOI 

To  the  descendants  of  the  "white  man's  friend,"  the 
great  chief,  Uncas,  some  of  whom  are  still  with  us,  to  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  the  Founders,  who  have  established 
for  themselves  homes  in  all  parts  of  our  country,  carrying 
with  them  the  New  England  character  and  enterprise,  and 
to  those  who  have  "found  us"  later,  yet  who  are  equally 
glad  to  come  back  and  renew  the  associations  of  the  dear 
home  town  and  city,  to  one  and  all  we  say,  "Welcome, 
thrice  welcome." 

May  your  sojourn  be  as  joyous  to  you  as  it  is  pleasant 
to  us,  and  may  it  renew  and  strengthen  your  love  for  the 
Rose  of  New  England,  whose  anniversary  we  celebrate. 
When  again  we  shall  return  to  our  homes  and  take  up 
anew  the  strenuous  duties  of  life,  may  this  brief  visit  to  the 
sacred  shrines  of  olden  time  be  an  inspiration  to  grander 
and  nobler  effort,  and,  like  the  honored  men  and  women 
of  the  early  days,  may  our  lives  find  their  vindication  in  the 
deeds  we  have  wrought. 

President  Harry  A.  Garfield  of  Williams  College,  a  son 
of  President  James  A.  Garfield  and  a  descendant  of  the  Rev. 
James  Fitch,  was  then  introduced  by  Mr.  Williams,  and 
delivered  the  following  address  on  the  Early  History  of 
Norwich : 

The  history  of  the  first  century  and  a  quarter  of  Norwich 
is  a  history  of  quiet  growth,  of  the  gradual  development  of 
a  century  of  vigorous  national  life.  There  were  stirring 
times,  especially  at  the  beginning,  and  until  the  red  men 
had  ceased  to  be  a  menace ;  but,  taken  as  a  whole,  the  period 
from  the  settlement  to  the  Revolution  was  a  period  of 
preparation.  It  was  the  period  of  strong  root  growth  upon 
which  so  much  of  the  future  of  the  tree  depends.  Before 
1659  was  the  unbroken  forest  for  the  conflict  of  warring 
tribes.  After  1783  came  industrial  development  and  a  sense 
of  nationality.  Had  the  growth  of  the  American  colonies 
approached  in  rapidity  the  development  of  the  American 
states,  we  should  to-day  be  neither  so  strong  nor  so  far 
advanced.  It  was  a  slow  growth  of  the  century  before  the 


IO2  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

Revolution  that  gave  to  the  United  States  its  fiber  and  de- 
termined the  quality  of  its  institutions. 


A  Brave  Company. 

It  was  indeed  a  brave  company  that  followed  Major 
John  Mason  and  his  venerated  pastor,  Rev.  James  Fitch, 
from  Saybrook,  to  the  plantation  in  Mohegan  territory  in 
the  fall  of  1659,  and  the  imagination  is  easily  excited  by 
the  too  meagre  accounts  which  have  come  down  to  us  of 
the  adventures  of  those  hardy  settlers  and  their  experiences. 
Tales  of  the  warpath  and  of  the  pioneer  have  a  fascination 
for  children  and  for  all  ages — including  the  grown-ups. 
But  of  equal  or  of  greater  importance  is  the  history  of  the 
"forgotten  half  century,"  when  the  third  and  fourth  genera- 
tions, resting  content  with  what  their  fathers  had  begun, 
developed  by  degrees,  so  small  as  to  be  imperceptible, 
except  on  long  periods  of  time,  the  sentiments,  ideals,  the 
strength  and  sturdiness  of  a  generation  destined  to  create 
a  new  standard  of  excellence  for  the  nations.  The  men  of 
1776  and  1787  knew  what  they  believed  and  why  they  be- 
lieved it.  Whatever  inheritance  can  do,  and  it  is  perhaps 
less  in  a  specific  way  than  we  are  apt  to  think,  had  been 
done.  The  men  of  that  day  had  inherited,  at  the  least, 
sturdy  bodies,  normal  minds  and  tendencies  to  look  at 
things  in  a  sane  and  normal  way.  They  had  been  reared 
as  their  fathers  and  grandfathers  had  been  reared,  to  fear 
God,  to  believe  in  the  necessity  of  hard  work,  and  to  use 
their  minds  as  well  as  their  hands.  If  in  the  earlier  years 
"book  learning"  was  not  extensive,  it  seems  fairly  safe  to 
assume  that  its  quality  was  intensive  and  therefore  of  the 
sort  known  in  pedagogics  as  a  discipline. 


Norwich  Avoided  Law. 

By  the  early  laws  of  the  colonies  every  town  of  thirteen 
families  was  ordered  to  maintain  a  school  at  which  reading 


DR.  GARFIELD  S  ADDRESS.  1 03 

and  writing  were  taught.  But  the  records  of  Norwich  con- 
tained no  mention  of  a  schoolmaster  until  1677.  Probably 
no  regular  school  was  maintained  during  those  first  seven- 
teen years,  when  the  forests  were  being  cleared  and  the 
"nine  miles  square"  were  converted  from  an  Indian  hunting 
ground  to  a  New  England  village,  with  its  main  street  and 
neighboring  farms.  Whatever  was  done  by  way  of  teach- 
ing was  doubtless  accomplished  after  the  day's  work  was 
over,  while  the  long  twilight  lasted  or  when  the  shut-in 
season  found  the  children  quartered  about  the  wide- 
mouthed  fire-places  of  those  wilderness  homes,  by  fathers 
and  mothers,  who  remembered  less  strenuous  but  not 
happier  days  across  the  sea,  and  who  perhaps  found  it  con- 
venient to  dispel  visions  of  hostile  attacks  by  prowling  red- 
men  before  the  children  were  tucked  up  for  the  night.  But 
we  are  told  that  in  1677  arrangements  were  made  for  nine 
months  of  schooling  at  a  stipend  for  the  teacher  which 
makes  the  much  complained  of  salaries  of  to-day  seem 
quite  sumptuous. 

John  Birchard  was  engaged,  and  the  town  obligated 
itself  to  pay  £25  for  his  support.  Whether  the  name  of 
the  schoolmaster  was  regarded  as  significant  we  are  not 
told ;  but  unless  the  first  settlers  of  Norwich  were  entirely 
devoid  of  a  sense  of  humor,  it  must  have  occurred  to  some 
of  less  serious  mind  that  the  surname  of  this  moulder  of  the 
youthful  mind  was  particularly  appropriate  to  the  theory 
of  sparing  the  rod  and  spoiling  the  child,  and  when  the 
birch  was  the  only  assistant  of  the  hard-worked  school- 
master. 


Teachers  from  New  London. 

In  1683  John  Hough  and  Samuel  Roberts  came  up  from 
New  London,  and  taking  up  their  residence  in  the  new 
town  built  the  first  school  house,  and  thenceforth  reading 
and  writing  were  regularly  taught  from  two  to  eight  or 
nine  months  each  year. 


IO4  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

By  the  close  of  the  century,  however,  the  good  work 
died  out,  and  we  read  that  with  the  opening  of  the  new 
century  Norwich  was  "presented"  to  the  grand  jury  "for 
the  want  of  a  school  to  instruct  children."  Perhaps  the 
New  England  primer,  with  which  was  printed  the  West- 
minster catechism,  was  regarded  as  a  too  limited  curriculum 
for  a  community  that  had  been  distinguished  by  the  resi- 
dence of  a  deputy  governor,  or  it  may  be  that  no  suitable 
successor  had  been  found  to  John  Birchard.  However  that 
may  be,  Norwich  managed  to  evade  the  educational  re- 
quirements of  the  colony  for  some  nine  years,  until  1709, 
when  the  town  repented  of  its  waywardness,  and  resolved 
that  it  would  comply  with  the  law  and  have  a  schoolmaster, 
this  time  in  the  person  of  Richard  Bushnell,  who  had 
taught  for  a  short  time  in  1697,  and  who  was  re-engaged. 

Apparently,  from  1712,  school  was  kept  throughout  the 
year,  for  we  hear  of  no  more  grand  jury  presentments  for 
neglect  in  this  respect.  It  must  not  be  supposed  from  this 
account  of  a  somewhat  broken  school  record  that  Norwich 
fell  behind  her  sister  towns  in  appreciation  of  the  things 
of  the  mind  or  in  zeal  for  achievement  in  that  direction. 
Indeed,  the  evidence  goes  quite  to  the  contrary,  for  before 
the  beginning  of  the  Revolution,  the  town  could  boast  of 
forty  college  graduates,  two  from  Harvard,  five  from 
Princeton,  thirty-three  from  Yale,  and  almost,  if  not  quite 
all,  of  them  were  of  the  families  of  the  first  settlers.  Several 
of  them  became  scholars  of  note  in  the  colonies.  What 
were  the  influences  that  roused  the  ambitions  of  so  many 
young  men  to  seek  a  college  education?  They  were  many 
and  so  inwrought  that  they  are  not  to  be  separated  from  the 
common  life  of  the  community. 

Begin  with  what  later  achievement  you  will,  the  in- 
quiring mind  is  led  back  to  the  sources  from  which  flowed 
pure  and  strong  the  life  of  the  place.  It  is  impossible  to 
recount  all  of  them,  for  they  were  as  many  as  there  were 
people  and  customs  and  institutions.  The  community  sense 
of  all  made  each  a  material  factor  in  the  life  and  growth  of 
the  settlement. 


DR.  GARFIELD'S  ADDRESS.  105 

Impression  on  Young  People. 

But  certain  people  and  experiences  must  have  made 
deeper  impressions  on  the  young  people  of  the  town  than 
others.  It  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  what  must  have  been 
the  impression  made  upon  the  children  born  in  the  colony 
of  parents  who  came  out  from  the  old  home.  Their  earliest 
remembrances  are  of  the  great  fireplace  in  the  room  which 
served  both  as  kitchen  and  sitting  room.  Here  they  gath- 
ered after  the  evening  meal.  From  the  small  open  recess 
beside  the  fireplace  the  mother  takes  down  a  volume,  one 
of  a  choice  number  and  few  brought  from  home — the  old 
home  across  the  sea — and  reads  the  words  made  familiar 
through  much  reading.  No  fairy  stories  those  nor  pleasing 
tales  of  adventure,  but  rather  something  very  sombre  and 
solemn,  never  quite  comprehensible  to  the  young  mind,  but 
accepted  as  are  all  things  when  the  mother's  voice  carries 
conviction  in  its  tone. 

People  were  very  serious  in  those  days.  They  had  em- 
barked on  a  life  or  death  journey  into  the  new  world  and 
God  was  immanent  in  their  lives.  On  the  table  near  by 
was  the  great  family  Bible,  an  awesome  book  from  which 
father  read  aloud  morning  and  evening.  His  voice  was 
never  quite  the  same  then  as  on  other  occasions. 

Above  the  fireplace  hangs  an  old  musket  which  occa- 
sionally comes  down  for  active  service  but  usually  serves 
as  a  theme  for  a  story  of  thrilling  experiences  with  the 
Indians.  And  then  the  bustle  and  hum  as  the  mother  pre- 
pares the  meals,  the  sight  of  the  flitches  of  bacon  and 
venison,  the  strings  of  dried  apples  and  chains  of  sausages 
hung  from  the  rafters  overhead  and  the  smell  of  the  baking 
beans  and  of  the  boiling  pot  of  turnips  and  of  the  pudding, 
hanging  in  its  bag,  set  appetite  on  edge.  The  whole  re- 
mained a  picture  in  the  mind  until  the  hair  had  grown  white 
and  the  years  many. 

Then  there  was  the  climb  up  the  hill  to  the  meeting 
house  of  a  Sabbath  day.  Not  the  old  first  meeting  house 
on  the  green,  but  the  second  one,  built  in  1673  by  John 


IO6  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

Elderkin  at  a  cost  to  the  town  of  428  pounds  plus  certain 
lands  granted  after  the  work  was  done  to  make  good  the 
loss  of  good  man  Elderkin,  the  carpenter,  and  to  compensate 
Rev.  James  Fitch,  who  had  furnished  the  nails.  To  the 
children  of  the  day  going  to  meeting  must  have  been  an 
impressive  event,  for  the  men  carried  their  muskets  and 
the  militiamen  were  present  as  a  special  guard.  In  the 
square  pew  nearest  the  pulpit  sat  the  great  men  of  the  town, 
a  distinction  determined  by  vote  and  rearranged,  as  was 
the  entire  seating,  every  three  or  four  years. 


Inspired  Fear  and  Respect. 

It  was  a  day  of  dignity  and  deference  and  children  grew 
up  to  respect  those  in  authority.  There  was  Major  John 
Mason,  the  military  leader,  deputy  governor  and  one  of 
the  judges  of  the  colony,  whose  rigid  and  imperious 
speeches  doubtless  inspired  the  youthful  mind  with  some- 
thing approaching  fear,  especially  when  the  story  of  the 
slaughter  of  the  Pequots  was  recalled.  Near  by  were 
Deacon  Thomas  Adgate  and  Deacon  Simon  Huntington 
and  John  Birchard,  who  was  town  clerk  and  justice  of  the 
peace  before  he  served  the  town  as  a  schoolmaster.  There, 
also  were  regularly  to  be  seen  all  except  those  whom  sick- 
ness or  extreme  old  age  kept  at  home ;  for  the  grand  jury 
kept  sharp  watch  on  shirkers  and  did  not  hesitate  to  make 
presentments  of  members  of  the  community  "for  living 
alone  and  neglecting  the  Sabbath." 

It  is  unnecessary  to  go  over  the  list,  for  it  contains  the 
names  of  all  the  inhabitants.  If  any  came  into  that  young 
community  he  was  viewed  with  suspicion  and  unless  he 
straightway  gave  indication  of  living  according  to  the  rules 
and  prescribed  customs  of  the  place  he  was  ordered  to 
move  on.  In  other  words,  obedience  was  emphasized  at  all 
points  in  the  child's  life,  by  what  it  saw  and  heard  of  the 
way  in  which  the  rebellious  members  of  the  community 
were  treated,  as  well  as  by  admonishments  at  home. 


DR.   GARFIELD  S  ADDRESS. 

Strongest  Incentive  to  Young  Men. 

But  the  men  who  furnished  the  strongest  incentive  to 
the  young  men  of  the  first  century  of  Norwich's  existence 
to  seek  a  college  education  were  the  first  pastor,  the  Rev. 
James  Fitch  and  his  two  successors,  John  Woodward  and  Dr. 
Lord,  who  between  them  guided  the  religious  life  of  the 
community,  at  any  rate  of  the  Congregational  section  of  it — 
and  at  the  outset  there  was  no  other — for  125  years.  Their 
lives  and  characters  have  been  so  fully  dealt  with  during  the 
past  two  days  that  it  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  do  more  than 
call  attention  to  the  fact  that  they  were  scholars  as  well  as 
ministers  of  the  gospel  and  that  to  their  influence  and  under 
their  direct  guidance  and  instruction  many  a  young  man  was 
led  to  appreciate  the  beauties  of  the  classics  as  well  as  the 
comforting  message  of  the  gospel.  To  this  list  of  educators 
should  be  added  Richard  Bushnell,  who  besides  teaching 
the  school,  as  already  denoted,  was  a  poet,  an  officer  of  the 
militia,  and  filled  several  town  and  colony  offices  with 
credit;  Col.  Simon  Lothrop,  "an  upright  man,  zealous  in 
religion,  faithful  in  training  up  his  family,  and  much  re- 
spected and  esteemed  for  his  abilities  and  social  virtues;" 
Rev.  Elijah  Waterman,  who  was  "distinguished  as  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  of  the  classics,"  and  Theophilus  Abell,  whose 
library  of  thirty  volumes  was  notable  for  its  size  and  who 
himself  was  a  religious  teacher. 

How  was  it  this  early  country  developed  as  it  did  and 
assisted  in  the  development  of  the  United  States  when 
they  became  states?  In  Norwich  more  than  in  any  other 
town  there  was  a  spirit  of  independence,  in  orders  and  cus- 
toms, there  being  no  feeling  that  they  were  here  under  the 
king.  From  the  first  days  we  see  the  forefathers  handing 
down  the  spirit  of  freedom  and  independence.  While  this 
was  going  on  here,  witness  the  development  in  the  condi- 
tions in  England,  where  it  took  two  centuries  to  accomplish 
Avhat  was  done  here  in  four  generations. 

Up  to  1688  there  was  absolute  power  held  by  the  king 
and  after  that  the  prime  minister  was  made  answerable  to 
parliament.  Here  we  found  people  representing  communi- 


IO8  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

ties  from  which  they  came.  Now  the  currents  are  meeting 
and  we  are  learning  from  England  as  England  learned 
from  us. 

In  closing  his  address  Dr.  Garfield  said  that  he  had 
found  much  pleasure  in  looking  up  the  old  history,  but  he 
had  dwelt  upon  it  so  long  that  upon  his  arrival  here  he  was 
almost  surprised  to  see  paved  streets,  bunting  and  electric 
lights  and  was  almost  prepared  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  the 
redskins.  He  was  glad,  however,  to  congratulate  Norwich 
for  its  progress  and  for  the  citizens  it  has  turned  out. 

The  hymn  by  Dr.  Leonard  Bacon,  "O  God,  Beneath 
Thy  Guiding  Hand,"  was  then  sung  by  the  choir  and 
audience. 

In  introducing  Arthur  L.  Shipman  of  Hartford  for  an 
address  on  the  Circumstances  Leading  to  the  Incorporation 
of  the  City,  Mr.  Williams  said : 

Had  not  our  ancestors  been  of  a  roving  disposition,  one 
of  our  speakers,  Arthur  L.  Shipman,  would  probably  not  be 
here  to-day.  He  is  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Leffingwell, 
and  we  want  him  to  tell  us  when  he  intends  to  return  to 
Norwich  as  his  home. 

Mr.  Shipman  began  his  address  by  saying  that  Norwich 
had  always  been  a  second  home  to  him,  and  that  he  with 
his  brother  and  sister  were  the  last  of  the  Shipman  descend- 
ants of  Nathaniel  Shipman  who  know  Norwich,  for  which 
he  always  held  profound  respect.  He  continued  as  follows : 

The  lifetime  of  Norwich  as  a  town  is  just  double  its 
age  as  a  city.  The  incorporation  of  the  city  marked  the 
recognition  of  a  change  in  the  economic  and  political  condi- 
tion of  the  state  and  of  the  township. 

In  1784  many  of  the  towns  of  the  state  had  passed  the 
plantation  stage  and  entered  a  life  of  varied  industrial  in- 
terests. The  events  preceding  the  Revolutionary  war,  and 
the  war  itself,  had  given  the  people  at  large  a  more  adequate 
conception  of  the  sphere  and  functions  of  government. 
Town  meetings  had  been  numerous.  Committees  ap- 
pointed at  such  meetings  had  been  in  active  com- 


MR.  SHIPMAN  S  ADDRESS.  1 09 

munication  with  similar  officials  of  other  towns.  Service 
in  the  army,  and  travel  on  civil  business  for  the  new  govern- 
ment, had  brought  men  of  Connecticut  and  of  other  states 
in  closer  touch.  History  and  international  law  had  been 
studied  in  all  accessible  books.  The  resulting  public  per- 
ception of  the  new  relations  of  things  industrial  and  political 
came,  broadly  speaking,  about  half-way  between  the  settle- 
ment of  Norwich  and  the  present  time. 

What  led  up  to  the  incorporation  of  the  city  of  Norwich 
and  its  life  and  that  of  the  town  for  some  years  after- 
wards, it  is  my  part  to  describe  briefly. 

Nine  Miles  Square. 

The  "nine  miles  square"  was  purchased  and  settled  by 
a  self-selected  company.  As  a  community,  it  cut  the  for- 
ests, grubbed  the  underbrush,  tilled  the  fields;  launched 
first  the  shallop,  then  the  sloop,  and  finally  the  ship.  It 
was  the  community  also  that  turned  the  trails  to  bridle 
paths,  and  then  to  wagon  roads.  All  this  it  did  with  perse- 
verance, in  the  fear  of  God,  and  with  honorable  self-respect. 
The  founders  and  their  descendants  to  the  third  generation 
were  no  mere  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water.  Who 
they  were,  we  know.  What  they  did,  we  can  never  know, 
in  spite  of  far  more  abundant  data  than  most  towns  can 
boast.  The  glory  of  their  achievement  we  can  well  appre- 
ciate, but  never  can  express.  No  address,  even  as  eloquent 
and  complete  as  that  to  which  we  have  just  listened,  can 
do  it,  and  our  fathers,  justice.  Of  some  things,  however,  in 
the  past  of  Norwich,  we  are  sure.  We  know  that  the  figures 
of  these  fathers  and  mothers  of  ours  do  not  bulk  unduly 
large  in  retrospect,  magnified  by  the  mists  of  time.  Mason 
and  Tracy,  Fitch,  Leffingwell,  and  their  companions,  were 
men  such  as  our  imaginations  now  paint  them — the  outlines 
correct,  the  colors  in  proper  tone. 

We  must  not  forget  that  our  fathers  called  this  place  a 
"plantation."  Here  they  settled  as  a  community.  As  a 
company  they  bought  this  land.  The  government  of  Eng- 


IIO  NORWICH    QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

land  to  them — was  it  a  shadow,  or  not?  Historians  and 
lawyers  can  debate  for  days  upon  that  subject,  but  there  is 
no  tribunal  to  determine  it.  But  of  the  relations  of  the  plan- 
tation to  the  colony  there  can  be  no  difference  of  opinion. 
At  a  session  October  3,  1661,  Major  Mason,  deputy  gov- 
ernor, presiding,  the  general  court  ordered  "the  secretary 
to  write  a  letter  to  Xorridge  to  send  up  a  committee  in  May 
next,  invested  with  full  power  to  issue  of  the  affair  respect- 
ing settling  that  plantation  under  the  government" ;  and  in 
May  following  the  freemen  from  Norwich  were  presented 
and  accepted  and  sworn  by  Major  Mason.  The  general 
court  granted  title  to  lands  within  the  plantation  itself.  In- 
deed, it  was  originally  called  upon  to  confirm  Uncas's  deed 
to  the  company,  provided  "that  it  shall  not  prejudice  any 
former  grant  to  our  worshipful  governor  or  others."  Yet 
it  is  still  claimed  by  some  accepted  historians  that  Con- 
necticut was  a  confederacy  of  towns. 

It  was  in  1783  that  175  freemen  of  the  town  of  Norwich, 
then  containing  Bozrah,  Franklin,  Lisbon,  and  a  part  of 
Preston  as  well,  petitioned  for  the  incorporation  of  the 
Landing  and  the  uptown  district  as  a  city.  Their  reasons 
were  stated  in  their  memorial  as  follows : 

"That  your  memorialists,  from  their  local  circumstances, 
are  not  able  to  gain  a  subsistence  by  agriculture :  That, 
therefore,  they  have  for  many  years  past  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  commerce  and  mechanical  arts:  That,  during  the  late 
war  they  have  been  unfortunate  in  their  navigation,  having 
the  greatest  part  captured  by  the  enemy  and  burnt  and 
destroyed  by  them  when  they  were  at  New  London." 

The  memorial  goes  on  to  complain  that  the  internal 
police  system  is  defective ;  that  good  wharves  and  streets 
are  lacking;  and,  finally,  that  they  must  have  a  court  of 
their  own. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  detail  the  subsequent  changes  in 
the  local  governments  of  the  various  parts  of  the  original 
town  plot.  They  have  been  lately  fully  chronicled ;  but 
they  have  more  than  a  purely  historic  interest,  for  they 
illustrate  the  imperfect  relations  which  have  always  existed 


MR.  SHIPMAN'S  ADDRESS.  in 

between  the  state  and  the  municipalities.  Of  course,  Con- 
necticut is  not  peculiar  in  this  respect,  but  she  has  yielded, 
on  the  whole,  more  than  her  sister  states  to  temptations  to 
special  legislation. 

Reason  for  Town. 

The  Connecticut  town  exists  primarily  to  take  care  of 
roads  and  bridges,  and  paupers  within  its  limits.  It  must 
be  of  such  convenient  size  that  its  voters  can  often  meet  at 
some  central  place.  The  original  nine  miles  square,  split, 
as  it  were,  by  two  rivers,  was  too  large.  If  town  meetings 
were  frequent  they  absorbed  too  much  of  the  voter's  time  in 
coming  and  going.  The  incorporation  of  the  city,  and  of  the 
three  northern  and  western  towns,  was  approved  by  a  large 
majority  of  the  dwellers  in  the  original  township.  Later 
legislation,  actual  and  proposed,  to  alter  local  boundaries, 
met  vigorous  opposition. 

In  the  late  years  of  the  eighteenth  and  the  early  years 
of  the  nineteenth  centuries,  it  was  apparently  the  policy  of 
Connecticut  to  regulate  municipalities  through  general  laws. 
That  practice  has  unfortunately  fallen  into  abeyance.  A 
city,  in  1800,  was  still  a  novel  state  agency ;  it  existed  mainly 
to  give  its  inhabitants  better  roads,  sidewalks,  police  and 
fire  protection  than  they  enjoyed  under  a  town  management. 
By  mistake,  too  large  a  territory  was  included  in  the  original 
city  of  Norwich.  It  was  difficult  for  the  uptown  dwellers 
to  secede — that  could  only  be  authorized  by  the  general 
assembly.  The  petitions  for  change  of  city  lines,  presented 
in  1827,  disclose  disputes  which  the  general  assembly,  under 
the  present  constitution  and  laws,  must  unfortunately  de- 
cide. A  controversy  over  local  matters  is  never  so  destruc- 
tive to  the  peace  and  progress  of  the  community  interested 
as  when  taken  before  the  state  legislature.  Is  there  any 
reason,  for  instance,  why  Norwich  should  not  have  the 
right  to  manage  its  private  affairs,  as  distinct  from  its 
public  duties,  on  the  Galveston  or  Newport  plan,  or  to  fol- 
low any  other  new  idea  in  city  government,  if  it  so  de- 
sires? 


112  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Another  Disadvantage. 

Universal  suffrage  on  questions  where  a  city  is  acting 
in  a  private  capacity  is  another  disadvantage.  Funds  must 
be  provided  by  the  taxpayers,  although  the  control  of  an 
election  may  be  with  persons  having  no  pecuniary  interest 
in  the  result.  Well  studied  and  general  legislation  provid- 
ing for  larger  local  control  of  the  private  affairs  of  local 
communities,  and  restricting  the  right  of  decision  on  such 
matters  to  property  owners,  is  to-day  one  of  the  greatest 
needs  of  American  cities. 

The  memorialists  of  1783  spoke  of  the  "late  war."  We 
must  confess  that  the  results  of  the  war  were  not  as  ruinous 
as  the  petitioners  stated.  To  be  sure,  Norwich  had  given 
freely  of  her  substance  and  men  in  the  long  contest:  Samuel 
Huntington,  in  the  Continental  congress,  at  one  session  its 
president — and  some  day  a  proper  defense  of  that  congress 
will  be  written ;  it  has  suffered  too  long  the  sneers  of  hostile 
critics;  Joseph  Trumbull,  dying  for  his  country  as  loyally 
as  if  on  the  battlefield ;  Jabez  Huntington,  the  father,  at 
home  rushing  men  and  supplies  to  the  ever-changing  fight- 
ing line;  and  his  sons,  Jedediah,  Joshua  and  Ebenezer,  in 
the  field,  and  Andrew  as  commissary  at  home — Jedidiah  a 
brigadier  general,  Ebenezer  a  colonel.  And  we  must  not 
forget  Chaplain  Ellis,  Colonels  Durkee,  Throop  and  Rogers ; 
the  two  captains,  James  Hyde,  Captains  Nevins,  Jedediah 
Hyde,  Simeon  Huntington  and  Elisha  Prior,  or  Dr.  Turner, 
the  beloved  and  untiring  physician  and  surgeon,  or  the  two 
brothers,  Christopher  and  Benajah  Leffingwell.  We  ought 
not  to  pass  by  others  equally  brave  and  efficient;  but  the 
name  of  Benjamin  Huntington  stands  among  them  almost 
pre-eminent.  He  was  not  at  the  battlefront,  but  in  matters 
of  service  at  home,  in  the  general  court,  as  agent  of  the 
town — in  all  things  most  sensible  and  helpful,  Norwich 
owed  him  much  during  the  Revolution,  and  more  later. 

Location  a  Protection. 

But  Norwich  was  protected  during  the  war  by  her  loca- 
tion. Her  position  also  gave  her  a  good  chance  for  pri- 


MR.  SHIPMANS  ADDRESS.  113 

vateering  and  blockade  running.  Jedidiah  Huntington's 
letters  to  his  father  from  the  army  show  that  even  his 
absence  did  not  prevent  him  from  joining  eagerly  in  that 
dangerous  game.  With  the  treaty  of  peace  came  the  com- 
mercial opportunity  of  Norwich.  The  West  India  trade 
flourished  briskly.  Horses,  mules,  sheep  and  swine  were 
carried  between  and  on  decks  by  thousands.  One  wonders 
where  they  all  went  to.  Each  issue  of  the  Connecticut 
Courant  of  those  days  calls  for  "sprightly"  or  "lively"  young 
horses,  and  hard  money  would  sometimes  be  offered  in  ex- 
change, and  profits  rose  by  bounds.  Indeed,  Connecticut 
was  so  much  engaged  in  money  making  after  the  war  and 
before  the  constitutional  convention  that  the  necessity  for 
a  more  stable  form  of  national  government  was  not  as  ap- 
parent to  us  as  to  some  of  our  neighbors.  When  Ellsworth 
hurried  from  Philadelphia  without  signing  the  instrument 
which  he  and  his  Connecticut  colleagues  had  been  so  instru- 
mental in  framing  he  found  a  general  assembly  very  indif- 
ferent to  his  persuasions.  But  Connecticut  was  federalist 
to  the  backbone.  Roger  Sherman  in  New  Haven,  the 
Wolcotts  in  Litchfield,  the  Champions  in  Colchester,  Wil- 
liam Samuel  Johnson  in  Fairfield,  Ellsworth  in  Hartford, 
the  Trumbulls  and  Huntingtons  in  Norwich — the  state  was 
under  an  oligarchy  indeed;  and  so  it  continued  until  the 
alliance  of  toleration  and  democrats  finally  overthrew  it. 

How  incomprehensible  it  was  to  an  old  fashioned  fed- 
eralist to  see  Norwich  follow  strange  gods  is  shown  by  a 
letter  of  my  great-grandfather  which  I  found  the  other  day. 
He  was  writing  to  his  son:  "The  result  of  the  election 
(April,  1817)  you  know.  Democrats  are  on  tiptoe.  What 
they  will  attempt  when  the  legislature  meets  no  one  can 
tell.  I  think  in  Governor  Wolcott  they  have  got  a  Tartar, 
and  will  not  find  him  exactly  the  man  they  wish."  What 
the  democrats  attempted  and  carried  through  was  the  state 
constitution  of  1818,  and  the  Tartar,  Oliver  Wolcott,  con- 
tinuously served  the  state  as  governor  for  ten  years  there- 
after. 


114  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

When  Monroe  was  visiting  New  London,  in  the  same 
year  (1817),  the  old  gentleman  complained  in  another  letter 
that  two  good  court  days  were  entirely  wasted  by  the 
"huzzaing  boys."  Three  years  afterwards  the  old  gentle- 
man had  become  reconciled  to  defeat.  He  is  writing  to 
his  son  again : 

"I  will  take  to  myself  a  moment  to  give  you  an  account 
of  our  late  election  of  members  for  the  legislature,  which 
I  fear  has  terminated  in  the  choice  of  a  larger  number  of 
democrats  than  we  have  ever  had  before.  A  number  of 
gentlemen  met  at  Hartford  in  January  last  and  agreed  to 
recommend  to  the  electors  for  senators  six  federalists  and 
six  democrats,  and  in  their  selection  made  a  ticket  of 
twelve  persons  which  for  talent  and  weight  of  character 
was  thought  by  all  reflecting  men  far  superior  to  the  present 
senate.  Yet,  such  is  the  blind  obstinacy  of  democracy,  that 
although  great  numbers  of  the  party  admitted  that  it  would 
be  desirable  to  elect  a  senate  composed  of  men  all  parties 
could  put  confidence  in  and  a  large  number  of  our  best 
citizens  for  some  weeks  before  the  meeting  flattered  them- 
selves that  the  new  ticket  would  succeed,  but  when  we  came 
to  the  trial  the  same  spirit  which  has  long  blasted  our  hopes 
appeared,  and  Sam  Charlton  and  Calvin  Case,  carried  all 
before  them,  giving  the  old  senators  a  majority  of  sixty  in 
this  town,  and  I  fear  our  neighbors  are  not  much  better  off." 

It  is  strange  that  writers  of  American  history  are  in 
general  so  unfair  to  New  England  sentiment  between  the 
French  Revolution  and  1815.  Go  over  the  list  of  captures 
and  confiscations  of  Norwich  vessels  prior  to  the  War  of 
1812;  one  after  another  they  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British 
or  French  or  both.  Often  the  crews  are  imprisoned,  but 
the  moment  they  strike  the  northern  shore  of  the  sound 
again  they  re-embark  in  other  ventures. 

Three  Reasons  for  Choice. 

One  wonders,  of  course,  why  New  England,  in  spite  of 
impressment  of  our  seamen  by  the  mother  country  and  her 


MR.  SHIPMAN'S  ADDRESS.  115 

renunciation  of  a  well  settled  shipping  rule,  was  so  luke- 
warm in  its  animosity  against  her,  and  so  hostile  to  France. 
The  reasons  are  three:  In1  the  first  place,  the  French 
privateers  of  the  West  Indies  and  their  depredations  on 
New  England  commerce;  secondly,  Jefferson  was  at  the 
same  time  a  French  adherent  and  the  author  of  a  commer- 
cial policy  the  stupidest  conceivable  from  our  standpoint. 
He  had  called  a  halt  in  navy  making  and  had  forced  on  the 
country  the  embargo  and  non-intercourse  acts.  But  the 
third  reason  was  by  far  the  most  important,  viz.:  The 
feeling  in  every  real  New  England  man  that  Great  Britain 
was  fighting  the  battle  of  Christendom  against  Bonaparte. 
"Suppose  England  has  changed  her  maritime  rules,"  our 
fathers  said,  "let  us  in  at  the  game,  no  matter  what  rule  she 
makes.  Give  us  seaway,  and  give  us  a  port  ahead — we  will 
find  our  way  in.  Never  mind  the  cruising  frigates  or  the 
blockade,  actual  or  on  paper.  If  we  are  caught,  ours  the 
loss." 

The  thought  that,  after  all,  old  England  might  not 
win,  hung  like  a  cloud  over  every  New  England  hamlet. 
Open  the  limp  sheets  of  those  old  Connecticut  journals. 
Even  in  our  actual  fighting  days,  from  1812  to  1815,  clip- 
pings from  the  English  papers  that  slipped  in  via  Halifax 
were  what  people  wanted  most  to  read — not  news  of  Chip- 
pewa  and  Lundy's  Lane.  Wellington  and  Napoleon  were 
the  real  figures  on  the  world's  stage.  And  our  grandfathers 
judged  rightly. 

Such  were  the  feelings  that  gave  birth  to  the  Hartford 
convention.  Have  we  in  Connecticut  anything  to  apologize 
for  in  that  gathering?  If  so  it  doesn't  appear  in  its  journal 
— and  Theodore  Dwight  was  an  honest  man.  Do  we  wish 
it  had  never  met?  If  that  page  were  taken  from  New  Eng- 
land history,  we  should  always  miss  something — a  rare 
sample  of  her  sober  courage,  her  four-square  view  of  things 
as  they  are.  If  other  events — the  treaty,  and  Jackson  at 
New  Orleans — had  not  come  near  at  the  time  of  its  adjourn- 
ment, its  name  would  never  have  been  spoken  with  a  sneer, 
or  written  with  nullification  in  the  context. 


Il6  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

Representatives  Were  Uptown  Men. 

During  those  days  the  Landing  took  second  place  and 
the  town  plot  came  once  again  to  the  fore.  The  representa- 
tives in  the  general  assembly  were  uptown  men.  But  with 
the  treaty  things  changed.  The  federalist  party  was  dying. 
It  must  needs  be  that  the  established  church,  Yale  College, 
and  the  state,  as  a  triumvirate  in  Connecticut,  must  sur- 
render their  power.  The  era  of  Norwich  enterprise  in  water 
traffic  gave  way  to  ventures  in  manufactures ;  men  who 
worked  with  their  hands  were  drawing  closely  together. 
It  was  not  yet  the  day  of  buying  labor,  but  of  laboring 
together,  apprentices  in  the  shop  and  in  the  family  as  well. 
They  were  not  always  likely  boys,  of  course.  An  advertise- 
ment in  the  Courier  for  a  runaway  apprentice  ironically  tells 
the  public  that  his  master  will  pay  one  cent,  and  no  more, 
for  the  boy's  return.  The  girls  of  that  day  apparently 
needed  no  training.  Indeed,  in  the  Connecticut  Courant  of 
July  5,  1789,  I  find  this  item: 

"Stocking  looms  are  now  making  at  Norwich  by  that 
self-taught,  ingenious  man,  Thomas  Harland,  already  well 
known  for  the  excellence  of  his  fire  engines.  Cloth  shears 
superior  to  the  imported  ones  have  been  made  since  the 
peace  in  that  neighborhood,  and  that  place  is  likely  to  be 
the  Sheffield  of  this  country.  Two  girls  at  Norwich  by  the 
name  Roath,  one  of  12  and  the  other  of  14  years  of  age, 
without  any  instructions  respecting  that  article,  or  any 
assistance,  fabricated  32  yards  which  weighs  one  pound, 
ten  ounces,  avoirdupois  weight,  and  are  now  sprigging  it 
with  the  needle." 

Who  were  the  leading  men  and  women  of  Norwich 
after  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain?  During  the  era 
of  good  feeling,  and  prior  to  the  rise  of  the  whig  party, 
Calvin  Goddard  seems  to  have  been  the  great  man.  He  was 
mayor  for  seventeen  years,  until  1831.  You  will  recall  that 
the  charter  of  Norwich  was  unique  in  that  a  mayor  must 
resign  his  office,  die,  or  be  removed  by  the  general  assembly. 
Mr.  Goddard  must  have  been  a  sound  and  thoughtful 
lawyer.  His  written  opinions,  as  a  judge,  are  commendable. 


MR.  SHIPMAN  S  ADDRESS.  117 

Senator  Foster  selected  his  office  to  read  law  in.  He  was 
an  enterprising  manufacturer.  He  was  one  of  Connecticut's 
delegates  to  the  Hartford  convention  and  a  member  of 
congress.  Yet  I  confess  it  is  hard  to  find  much  color  in  his 
personality.  That  is  not  true  of  Henry  Strong,  nor  of 
Senator  Huntington,  nor  is  it  true  of  other  men  prominent 
in  later  years,  like  William  C.  Oilman  and  William  P. 
Greene.  Henry  Strong  and  Jabez  W.  Huntington  were 
born  in  the  same  year,  1788,  one  the  son  of  a  beloved  clergy- 
man of  the  town,  the  other  the  son  of  Zachariah  Hunting- 
ton  and  grandson  of  General  Jabez  Huntington.  They  were 
intimate  friends  in  boyhood,  classmates  together  in  college, 
and  associated  as  lawyers.  It  is  said  that  Henry  Strong 
could  have  had  any  of  the  political  honors  which  were 
showered  upon  his  friends,  but  he  preferred  those  of  a 
professional  life,  and  they  came  to  him  abundantly.  His 
face  looks  down  from  the  portrait  in  the  courthouse  here, 
and  yet  in  spite  of  his  local  and  perhaps  temporary  reputa- 
tion, I  wonder  if  Governor  Hubbard's  well  known  descrip- 
tion of  the  work  and  memory  of  another  lawyer  pure  and 
simple  is  not  applicable  to  him : 

"The  truth  is,"  he  said,  "we  are  like  the  little  insects 
that  in  the  unseen  depths  of  the  ocean  lay  the  coral  founda- 
tions of  uprising  islands.  In  the  end  comes  the  solid  land, 
the  olive  and  the  vine,  the  habitations  of  man,  the  arts  and 
industries  of  life,  the  havens  of  the  sea  and  ships  riding  at 
anchor.  But  the  busy  toilers  which  laid  the  beams  of  a 
continent  in  a  dreary  waste  are  entombed  in  their  work  and 
forgotten  in  their  tombs." 

There  is  no  necessity,  even  if  time  permitted,  to  speak 
of  many  others  to  whom  Norwich  is  indebted,  and  of  whom 
we  are  proud — Mrs.  Sigourney  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Huntington 
for  instance.  To  be  sure,  one  can  hardly  find  Mrs.  Sigour- 
ney's  name  in  a  modern  list  of  American  writers,  but  when 
they  were  written  her  memorial  verses  carried  comfort  to 
many  afflicted  hearts.  The  names  of  Senator  Foster, 
Governor  Buckingham  and  of  Daniel  Coit  Gilman  will 
undoubtedly  be  mentioned  in  a  later  address. 


Il8  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Political  Life  of  Norwich. 

The  political  life  of  Norwich,  after  1820,  seems  to  have 
been  a  steady  control  by  the  tolerationists  until  the  sturdy 
youth  of  the  whig  party,  about  1835.  Then  Norwich  became 
a  whig  stronghold,  until  the  free  soilers  came  to  the  front. 

After  all,  the  politics  of  the  past  play  but  a  small  part 
in  our  common  and  separate  family  traditions.  It  is  of 
our  own  great  grandparents,  of  our  grandfathers  and 
grandmothers,  and  of  their  children  that  we  are  thinking; 
of  the  tea  parties  of  those  days,  the  neighborly  dropping  in 
of  evenings,  the  quiet  talks  on  shaded  porches,  the  strollings 
and  whisperings  of  lovers  under  the  elms ;  of  the  boys  steal- 
ing from  pool  to  pool  along  the  alder  sheltered  trout 
streams ;  of  their  breathless  climbs  up  the  ridges  along  the 
line  of  the  partridge's  whirring  flight;  of  friendly  groups 
about  the  winter  evening  fireside,  the  leaping  flames  sink- 
ing into  glowing  ashes,  and  the  lively  talk  broken  by  sympa- 
thetic silences ;  of  the  short  Saturday  nights,  and  long 
Sundays,  and  the  goodness  of  the  white  haired  men  and  the 
sweetness,  like  the  dropping  rose  petals  in  their  gardens,  of 
our  gentle  grandmothers.  And  later  we  come  to  the  burden 
of  the  national  problem — of  slavery  and  its  extension,  the 
claims  of  the  south,  and  finally  the  roar  of  the  guns  against 
Sumter  and  the  spring  to  arms. 

Fifty  years  ago  Norwich's  jubilee  was  silent  on  what 
must  have  been  an  undercurrent  in  many  minds.  Some  of 
you  here  present  were  there.  We  to  whom  the  feeling  of 
those  days  is  lost  in  the  flood  of  household  traditions,  in 
mingled  stories  of  joy  and  sorrow,  of  sparkling  wit — for 
jarring  notes  disappear  with  the  years — we  prefer  the 
silence  also. 

To  us  who  have  found  home  ties  elsewhere,  Norwich 
is  the  place  of  our  dear  ones,  many  of  whom  we  never  saw, 
but  whose  names  and  memories  we  love — for  whom  \ve 
name  our  children,  and  to  whose  kind  and  steadfast  eyes 
as  they  look  down  upon  us  from  their  dulling  frames,  we 
submit  our  questionings. 


MR.  SHIPMANS  ADDRESS.  119 

Forbears  all,  we  greet  you !  We  make  no  promises  for 
ourselves — we  have  fallen  short  of  what  you  would  have 
us  to  be.  For  the  little  we  have  done,  for  the  more  we  have 
tried  to  do,  we  owe  much  to  an  honorable  pride  in  you,  our 
ancestors  of  Norwich.  If  we  cannot  promise  for  ourselves, 
we  can  undertake  somewhat  for  our  children.  The  tri-cen- 
tennial  will  see  them  returning  as  we  have  come  to-day,  and 
they  will  assert  a  larger  and  nobler  influence  than  even  we 
dare  claim  for  their  town  and  our  town,  Norwich. 

The  audience  received  this  address  with  much  applause. 

After  the  singing  of  Dr.  Isaac  Watts's  hymn,  "O  God, 
Our  help  in  Ages  Past,"  Mr.  Williams  said  that  while  Judge 
Samuel  O.  Prentice  of  the  supreme  court  of  errors  is  not  a 
son  of  Norwich,  he  came  from  so  close  to  the  nine  miles 
square  that  we  have  adopted  him  and  made  no  mistake  in 
his  adoption.  He  introduced  him  as  the  next  speaker. 

Judge  Prentice  then  delivered  the  concluding  address, 
reviewing  the  History  of  Norwich  in  the  Last  Half  Century, 
as  follows : 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

It  is  my  allotted  task  to  take  up  the  threads  of  the  story 
of  this  ancient  town  at  the  point  where  the  bicentennial 
celebration  in  1859  dropped  them.  The  half  century  which 
has  passed  since  that  time  lies  within  the  memory  of  not 
a  faw  who  are  before  me.  Its  most  significant  events  are 
familiar  to  most  of  you.  It  would,  therefore,  interest  you 
little,  and  profit  you  less,  if  I  should  attempt  at  this  time  to 
compile  a  record  of  them.  I  will  leave  that  task  to  the  local 
historian  of  the  future  who  shall  undertake  to  speak  of  the 
things  of  the  past  to  a  generation  whose  knowledge  of  them 
is  drawn  from  a  more  distant  retrospect.  But  history  (and 
I  must  not  forget  that  the  part  assigned  me  here  is  an 
historical  one)  concerns  itself  with  something  more  than 
the  bare  record  of  events.  These  are  but  the  result  of  the 
play  and  interplay  of  forces,  human  and  superhuman.  Even 
those  events  which  are  reasonably  familiar  assume  a  new 


I2O  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

interest  when  the  human  factors  in  them  are  brought  under 
review,  and  the  parts  played  by  the  chief  actors  in  them  and 
the  personalities  of  those  actors  are  recalled. 

It  chances  that  the  period  concerning  which  I  am  asked 
to  speak,  save  only  a  few  of  its  earliest  years,  lies  within  the 
range  of  my  personal  recollection.  True,  some  of  that 
recollection  is  made  up  of  the  impressions  of  boyhood  and 
youth.  True,  much  of  it  is  not  drawn  from  a  direct  partici- 
pation in  what  has  taken  place,  or  from  an  intimate  per- 
sonal contact  with  the  more  prominent  figures  concerned. 
But  I  am  obliged  to  confess  that  I  am  old  enough  to  be 
able  to  bring  under  review  from  memory  the  events  of  a 
large  portion  of  the  period  in  question,  and  to  have  received 
very  distinct  impressions  of  and  concerning  most  of  the  men 
who  have  been  the  chief  actors  upon  this  local  stage  during 
that  time.  I  shall,  therefore,  take  the  liberty  of  giving 
expression  to  some  of  these  impressions,  and  of  bringing 
into  special  prominence  the  personal  side  of  the  last  half 
century's  history  here. 

The  beginning  of  our  period  takes  us  back  to  times 
which  stirred  men's  souls.  The  great  national  struggle  over 
human  slavery  was  near  its  height ;  the  people  of  the  country 
were  aligning  themselves  for  the  momentous  political  con- 
flict which  the  next  year  was  to  witness;  and  events  were 
fast  rushing  on  to  the  dread  climax  of  war.  It  is  difficult, 
I  imagine,  for  those  of  us  who  have  lived  in  less  strenuous 
times  to  faithfully  picture  to  ourselves  the  conditions  which 
were  then  existing.  The  conscience  of  the  north  had  been 
profoundly  moved  by  the  spectacle  of  human  bondage,  and 
the  efforts  which  were  being  made  to  extend  the  sphere  of 
the  influence  of  slavery.  The  issue  which  had  been  joined 
was  in  its  sight  less  a  political  than  a  moral  one,  and  men 
became  inspired  with  that  ardor  and  zeal  and  determination 
which  a  moral  issue  alone  can  arouse.  This  was  peculiarly 
true  of  those  of  the  old  New  England  stock  who  had  been 
bred  and  nurtured  under  the  influences  of  a  Puritanism 
which  had  not  passed  away,  but  still  lingered  among  the 
homes  of  the  fathers  to  be  deeply  stirred  by  its  sense  of 


JUDGE  PRENTICE  S  ADDRESS.  121 

wrong,  and  moved  to  action  which  knew  no  ceasing.  Here 
in  this  town  and  in  this  eastern  Connecticut  the  blood  of  the 
Puritan  flowed  in  scarcely  adulterated  streams.  The  in- 
fluences which  he  created  were  still  potently  present  in  this 
typical  New  England  community,  and  his  strong,  virile 
manhood,  which  was  so  responsive  to  his  ideals  of  right  and 
wrong,  and  made  no  compromise  with  them  for  peace  and 
comfort's  sake,  was  the  representative  type  of  this  people  in 
striking  measure. 

The  year  1854,  to  go  no  farther  back,  had  witnessed  the 
repeal  of  the  Missouri  compromise.  In  1856  began  the  long 
and  bitter  struggle  over  bleeding  Kansas  and  in  May  of 
that  year  Brooks  made  his  attack  upon  Sumner.  In  1857 
came  the  Dred  Scott  decision,  and  the  fierce  controversy 
between  the  forces  of  freedom  and  slavery  over  the  Lecomp- 
ton  constitution.  In  1858  Lincoln  and  Douglass  met  in  their 
memorable  debate  with  all  the  country  looking  on.  While 
the  preparations  for  the  bicentennial  celebration  here  in 
1859  were  in  progress  John  Brown  was  busy  with  his  for 
the  invasion  of  the  slave  states,  and  in  October  his  abortive 
attempt  was  made. 

One  of  the  most  striking  and  attractive  personalities 
among  the  members  of  Brown's  devoted  band  was  born 
within  the  limits  of  ancient  Norwich  and  lived  here  until 
his  enlistment  for  the  Mexican  war,  and  his  family  were 
parishioners  of  the  Uptown  church  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  was  Aaron  D.  Stevens.  He  is  pictured  as  a  man  of 
Herculean  proportions — graceful  and  comely.  He  had 
played  a  leading  part  in  the  Kansas  struggle,  and  there  had 
come  into  intimate  relations  with  Brown.  He  walked  to  the 
scaffold  at  Charlestown  in  March,  1860,  with  as  undaunted 
courage  as  he  had  on  many  another  occasion  faced  death  for 
the  cause  which  lay  nearest  to  his  heart. 

These  events  and  others  coming,  as  they  did,  in  rapid 
and  overwhelming  succession,  had  wrought  the  mind  of  the 
north  and  of  this  community  into  a  fever  heat.  The  call  of 
the  anti-slavery  agitators  to  a  redress  of  the  wrongs  of  an 
oppressed  people  had  reached  the  hearts  of  some.  That  to 


122  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

stay  the  aggressions  of  the  slave  power,  and  to  save  a  vast 
expanse  of  virgin  soil  to  freedom  was  earnestly  heeded  by 
others.  The  contest  was  on,  and  it  was  being  waged  with 
all  the  intensity  and  bitterness  which  a  challenge  of  the 
righteousness  of  a  great  and  long  established  social  institu- 
tion can  engender.  These  calls  had  been  heard  here  and 
hereabouts,  and  the  response  had  been  no  uncertain  one. 
And  there  were  not  lacking  effective  local  agencies  to  re- 
inforce the  growing  opinion,  which  had  brought  the  recently 
formed  republican  party  into  being,  and  a  local  leadership 
to  give  it  shape  and  effectiveness.  The  Morning  Bulletin 
had  been  established  in  December,  1858.  Isaac  H.  Bromley 
occupied  its  editorial  chair.  In  that  place  of  vantage  be 
brought  to  the  service  of  the  cause  of  freedom  all  the 
enthusiasm  of  youth,  and  those  rare  abilities  which  later 
won  for  him  golden  laurels  in  the  fields  of  metropolitan 
journalism.  Senator  Foster  resided  here.  He  had  taken  his 
seat  in  the  United  States  senate  in  March,  1855,  and  re- 
mained a  member  of  that  body  until  1867,  and  to  become  its 
president  pro  tempore,  and  after  the  death  of  Lincoln  its 
presiding  officer.  He  earnestly  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
new  party,  and  was  influential  in  its  councils.  Gov.  Buck- 
ingham resided  here.  He  had  been  twice  mayor  and  twice 
governor.  The  influence  of  his  strong  hand  and  personal 
popularity  was  of  great  service  to  the  cause  to  which  he 
attached  himself  heart  and  soul.  Amos  W.  Prentice,  whose 
contributions  to  the  welfare  of  this  town  during  a  long  and 
busy  life  were  manifold  and  untiring,  was  mayor,  and  he 
was  always  to  be  found  in  the  forefront  of  the  advancing 
battle  line.  Here  was  Henry  H.  Starkweather,  then  a  young 
man  at  the  bar,  with  the  promise  of  a  bright  future  in  his 
profession.  His  tastes  soon  afterward  drew  him  aside  into 
public  service  in  which  he  remained  until  his  death  in  1876, 
while  serving  this  district  in  his  fifth  term  in  congress.  He 
attached  himself  to  the  fortunes  of  the  new  party  with  all 
the  ardor  of  his  nature,  and  was  ceaseless  in  his  labors  in 
its  behalf.  Dr.  John  P.  Gulliver  occupied  the  pulpit  of  the 
Broadway  church.  He  was  a  man  of  marvelous  power  in 


JUDGE  PRENTICE  S  ADDRESS.  123 

the  moulding  of  public  opinion,  and  rare  in  his  capacity  for 
leadership.  This  town  has  seen  few  of  his  equals  in  that 
respect.  lie  was  the  uncompromising  foe  of  slavery  and 
outspoken  and  persistent  in  his  denunciation  of  its  evils. 
There  was  gathered  in  his  congregation  an  unusual  group  of 
public  leaders.  Through  them,  and  through  his  own  force- 
ful personality  he  reached  out  into  this  community  in  a 
way  that  made  a  deep  impress  upon  it.  But  these  men 
who  held,  or  later  came  to  hold,  public  or  quasi-public 
places  were  not  the  only  leaders  in  the  movement  of  public 
opinion,  or  in  effective  propaganda  and  organization.  The 
ranks  of  the  professions  and  business  furnished  many 
others.  The  list  includes  such  men  as  the  brilliant  Edmund 
Perkins,  William  P.  Greene,  Henry  B.  Norton,  Moses 
Pierce,  John  Breed,  David  Smith,  John  F.  Slater,  Hugh  H. 
Osgood,  John  T.  Adams,  Deacon  Horace  Colton  and  many 
others.  These  were  all  men  of  wide  influence  and  they 
were  as  firm  in  their  faith  as  unfaltering  in  their  allegiance 
and  as  unsparing  in  their  efforts  as  any  others. 

At  the  April  election  in  1860  Governor  Buckingham 
was  a  candidate  for  re-election.  Great  importance  was 
attached  to  the  result  by  reason  of  its  bearing  upon  the 
greater  presidential  contest  soon  to  follow.  The  opposing 
candidate  was  the  magnetic  Thomas  H.  Seymour.  The 
democracy  had  not  then  suffered  the  division  which  soon 
befell  it.  All  of  its  members,  whatever  their  differing  shades 
of  opinion,  joined  in  the  most  energetic  efforts  to  stay  the 
progress  of  the  principles  which  the  republican  party  had 
espoused.  The  contest  was  desperately  waged.  The 
democratic  leadership  hereabouts  was  in  no  mean  or  inex- 
perienced hands.  It  included  John  T.  Wait,  James  A. 
Hovey,  James  S.  Carew,  John  W.  Stedman,  William  L. 
Brewer,  William  M.  Converse,  Christopher  C.  Brand  and 
others.  Wait  was  by  the  war,  which  at  Antietam  cost  him 
his  only  son,  carried  into  republican  leadership,  and  for 
ten  years  he  was  the  representative  of  this  district  in 
congress,  succeeding  Starkweather.  Hovey  was  a  lawyer 
of  high  abilities  who  in  1876  became  a  judge  of  the  superior 


124  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

court.  Carew  was  mayor  during  the  stirring  years  of  1860 
and  1861.  Stedman  was  the  proprietor  and  editor  of  the 
"Aurora."  The  importance  of  the  contest  attracted  the 
interest  of  Lincoln,  and  immediately  following  his  great 
triumph  in  Cooper  Union  he  visited  Connecticut  and  came 
to  Norwich,  where  in  the  old  Town  hall  he  re-echoed  the 
keynote  of  his  New  York  address,  and  repeated  his  appeal 
for  a  faith  that  right  makes  might,  and  for  a  courage  in  the 
people  to  dare  to  the  end  to  do  their  duty  as  they  under- 
stood it.  Amos  W.  Prentice  presided  at  the  meeting,  and, 
carried  away  by  the  power  of  the  Illinoisan's  ringing  words, 
he  exclaimed:  "Here  is  the  man  who  should  occupy  the 
house  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue."  Thus  in  one  breath  did  he 
disclose  his  power  of  discrimination  if  not  divination.  Buck- 
ingham was  elected,  but  by  the  slender  margin  of  538  votes. 

The  nomination,  election  and  inauguration  of  Lincoln, 
the  secession  of  states  and  the  firing  upon  Fort  Sumter 
followed  in  quick  succession,  and  the  Civil  War  with  all  its 
dire  consequences  was  upon  the  country.  The  announce- 
ment of  the  fall  of  Sumter,  which  came  on  Sunday,  April 
I4th,  made  it  a  day  long  to  be  remembered.  Pulpits  rang 
with  calls  to  patriotic  duty,  and  the  people  on  every  side 
were  stirred,  as  only  earnest  men  and  women  can  be,  by  the 
situation  which  threatened  such  portentous  consequences. 
There  had  been  no  call  to  arms ;  but  war  was  in  the  air,  and 
the  country's  inevitable  need  was  in  the  thoughts  of  every 
one. 

The  call  came  the  following  day,  and  preparations  for 
a  prompt  response  were  at  once  set  in  motion.  Former 
political  differences  were  forgotten,  and  men  of  the  faith 
and  stamp  of  Wait,  Hovey,  Carew  and  Stedman  vied  with 
the  most  ardent  haters  of  slavery  in  their  patriotic  zeal. 
The  popular  response  in  the  enlisting  quarters  was  such 
that  the  question  of  the  hour  was  not  so  much  one  of  men 
to  fill  the  three  companies  proposed  to  be  organized,  as 
it  was  how  to  uniform,  equip  and  supply  them  for  service. 
On  Thursday,  the  i8th,  a  war  meeting  (the  first)  was  held 
in  Apollo  hall,  with  Starkweather  in  the  chair,  and  prepara- 


JUDGE  PRENTICE  S  ADDRESS.  125 

tions  were  then  made  for  raising  the  necessary  funds.  The 
subscription  list  then  started  is  a  striking  and  eloquent 
document.  Buckingham's  name  heads  the  list  of  210  sub- 
scribers, and  the  total  subscribed  was  $21,395.  On  Saturday 
a  grand  mass  meeting  was  held,  Mayor  Carew  presiding. 
At  this  meeting  the  popular  enthusiasm  was  aroused  to  the 
highest  pitch  by  the  appeals  of  Foster,  Wait,  Pratt,  Hovey, 
Adams,  Halsey,  Starkweather,  Perkins,  the  venerable 
Doctor  Bond  and  a  half  dozen  others. 

But  neither  money  nor  enthusiasm  was  uniforms,  cloth- 
ing and  supplies.  There  was  an  emergency  which  men, 
however  eager  and  willing,  could  not  meet.  The  women  of 
Norwich,  as  patriotic  as  their  husbands  and  brothers, 
flocked  to  the  rescue.  The  city  became  suddenly,  and  as  if 
by  magic,  transformed  into  one  great  sewing  circle  with 
Breed  hall  as  its  center.  On  the  Sunday  next  after  the 
president's  call  350  women  plied  their  busy  fingers  in  that 
hall  all  day.  As  a  result  the  first  company  was  on  the 
following  day  ready  to  depart,  and  under  the  command  of 
Capt.  Frank  S.  Chester,  arm  in  arm  with  Buckingham,  it 
marched  to  the  station,  while  the  crowded  streets  showered 
upon  its  members  the  plaudits  and  benedictions  of  a  people 
wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  patriotic  enthusiasm. 
The  second  company  under  Capt.  Henry  Peale  left  on  the 
24th,  and  the  third  under  Capt.  Edward  Harland  on  the  29th 
— both  under  similar  conditions.  It  was  the  fortune  of  all 
these  companies  to  become  attached  to  the  brigade  which 
opened  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  in  good  order  covered 
the  retreat  from  that  ill-starred  field. 

In  this  connection  it  ought  to  be  noted  that  out  of 
these  united  efforts  of  the  women  there  grew  up  that  most 
efficient  and  far-reaching  organization,  whose  invaluable 
services  terminated  only  with  the  war — "The  Soldiers'  Aid 
Society,"  at  the  head  of  which  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Greene, 
and  in  which  Miss  Carrie  L.  Thomas  and  Miss  Eliza  P. 
Perkins  played  leading  parts. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  follow  in  detail  the  history 
of  the  four  eventful  years  which  followed.  But  my  time  will 


126  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

not  permit  me  to  even  summarize  the  story  which  Doctor 
Dana  in  his  labor  of  love — "The  Norwich  Memorial" — has 
put  in  abiding  form  and  so  worthily  told.  When  dark  hours 
came,  as  they  not  infrequently  did,  and  discouragements 
beset  the  cause  around  which  the  hopes  of  anxious  loyal 
hearts  were  centered,  faith  did  not  falter  here,  nor  courage 
abate.  The  inspiration  of  indomitable  leaders  was  steadily 
present.  As  call  after  call  for  men  came  in  staggering  suc- 
cession, and  the  material  with  which  to  respond  grew  less 
and  less,  the  devotion  of  the  people  kept  rising  to  higher 
heights  of  sacrifice,  and  their  grim  determination  to  more 
heroic  efforts.  The  public  purse  was  unstintingly  drawn 
upon,  and  private  endeavor  redoubled,  so  that  in  the  end 
approximately  $165,000  was  spent  from  the  public  treasury 
in  order  that  the  response  to  the  country's  call  might  be 
prompt  and  adequate,  and  the  allotted  quota  of  the  town 
was  always  full,  and  often  more  than  full.  In  all,  the 
number  who  enlisted  from  here  was  practically  one-tenth 
of  the  whole  population.  The  best  blood  of  it  was  included. 
Of  those  who  went  out  many  never  returned,  and  incom- 
parable sadness  came  into  many  homes,  high  and  low.  But 
the  major  part  did  return  to  receive  a  welcome  long  to  be 
remembered  and  to  take  up  their  parts  again  in  the  life  of 
this  community.  The  roll  of  the  men  who  came  to  distinc- 
tion in  the  service  is  too  long  for  repetition  here.  I  can  only 
pause  to  enumerate  those  few  who  came  to  the  highest 
station  upon  their  country's  records.  Joseph  Lanman  was 
a  commodore  after  1862,  and  later  became  an  admiral. 
Daniel  Tyler,  Edward  Harland  and  Henry  W.  Birge  rose 
to  be  brigadier  generals,  and  William  G.  Ely,  John  E.  Ward, 
Alfred  P.  Rockwell,  Hiram  M.  Crosby  and  Henry  Case  to 
be  colonels. 

On  the  day  following  the  evacuation  of  Richmond, 
Buckingham  was  chosen  governor  for  the  eighth  and  last 
time.  It  remained  for  him  as  was  fitting,  to  welcome  home 
the  returning  veterans  of  the  war  in  whose  hearts  he  held 
so  warm  a  place,  and  to  close  the  doors  of  the  temple  of 
Janus,  which  had  so  long  stood  open.  In  1869  he  was  sent 


JUDGE  PRENTICE  S  ADDRESS.  1 27 

to  the  United  States  senate.  His  great  work,  however,  was 
done  as  Connecticut's  war  governor,  and  it  is  upon  his 
record  made  in  those  years  of  exacting  service  that  his  claim 
to  an  enduring  public  remembrance  must  chiefly  rest.  The 
burden  which  fell  upon  him  in  that  crisis  of  our  country's 
history  was  a  heavy  one.  But  under  it  all,  and  through  all 
the  perplexities  and  trials  and  discouragements  which  fell  to 
his  lot,  he  bore  himself  with  such  dignity  and  poise,  such 
lofty  and  unselfish  patriotism,  such  sympathy  and  unswerv- 
ing devotion,  such  intelligence  and  foresight  that  he  won  for 
himself  a  place  beside  Andrew  and  Washburne  and  Morton 
in  the  select  circle  of  the  great  Civil  War  governors.  As 
Washington  learned  to  lean  upon  and  trust  Connecticut's 
Governor  Trumbull,  so  Lincoln  found  in  Buckingham  a 
state  executive  whose  fidelity  and  support  was  unfaltering 
and  sincere.  It  is  a  striking  coincidence  of  this  situation 
that  both  Trumbull  and  Buckingham  were  born  in  the 
neighboring  country  town  of  Lebanon. 

Xorwich  has  doubtless  numbered  among  her  citizens 
men  of  intellectual  endowments  superior  to  those  of  Buck- 
ingham. But  no  one  who  has  lived  or  gone  out  from  here 
has,  I  feel  assured,  so  surely  written  his  name  in  honor  into 
the  pages  of  history  as  he.  And  it  was  not  the  result  of 
chance  or  accident.  Great  qualities  were  in  him,  and  they 
expressed  themselves  upon  the  epoch  making  events  among 
which  he  moved.  His  striking  face  and  courtly  figure  as 
he  appeared  upon  public  occasions  wearing  on  his  silk  hat 
the  cockade,  which  was  the  insignia  of  his  office,  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  my  youthful  mind.  As  I  now  look 
upon  his  figure  in  heroic  bronze  seated  among  the  battle- 
flags  in  the  capitol  in  Hartford  I  can  understand  the  reason 
why,  and  I  find  it  easy  to  discover  in  that  strong  yet  benig- 
nant face  the  secret  of  his  devoted  life  and  of  his  efficient 
service  in  a  great  emergency. 

In  the  fall  of  1866  I  came  from  my  nearby 
home  to  enter  the  Academy.  Then  I  met  for  the 
first  time  that  masterful  teacher,  Professor  William 
Hutchison,  and  came  within  the  circle  of  his  remarkable 


128  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

influence.  He  had  the  year  before  come  to  the  Academy, 
which  under  the  principalship  of  Elbridge  Smith  had  already 
been  placed  upon  a  firm  foundation.  He  remained  until 
his  untimely  death  in  1885  to  continue  his  invaluable  work 
for  this  community  in  the  training  and  inspiration  of  its 
young  men  and  women.  He  was  not  long  in  making  his 
influence  felt,  and  soon  the  school  acquired  a  recognized 
reputation  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  land,  and  as  one  without 
a  superior  as  a  place  for  college  preparation.  What  the 
secret  of  his  power  was  I  do  not  pretend  to  have  discovered. 
Something  of  it  was  doubtless  due  to  the  genuineness, 
directness  and  wholesomeness  of  his  nature.  There  was  no 
sham  or  pretense  about  him.  He  was  human  and  sympa- 
thetic. He  was  sane  in  his  views  of  things.  He  was 
catholic  in  his  spirit.  He  understood  the  young,  and  how 
to  reach  them.  He  set  up  no  impossible  standards.  He 
marked  out  no  narrow  ways.  His  influence  was  not  exerted 
through  a  system  of  "thou  shalt  nots,"  but  through  an 
inspiration  to  the  best  things  which  radiated  from  him  on 
every  hand.  He  looked  to  the  instillation  of  ideals  and  the 
creation  of  worthy  aspirations  and  ambitions,  and  not  to 
commandments  for  the  assurance  of  an  honorable  life.  It 
was  a  sad  day  to  many  when  the  news  went  forth  that  the 
beloved  teacher  had  closed  his  labors,  and  Norwich  rightly 
felt  that  one  of  her  noblest  had  gone  from  her.  Professor 
Hutchison  was  as  quiet  in  his  ways,  as  simple  in  his  habits 
and  as  modest  in  his  demeanor  as  he  was  strong.  He 
sought  neither  publicity  nor  fame.  The  limelight  had  no 
attraction  for  him.  He  was  content  to  do  his  duty  as  a 
moulder  of  youth,  a  citizen  of  this  town  and  a  Christian. 
He  did  it  well,  and  the  verdict  of  all  who  knew  him  or  his 
service  must  be  that  few  men  have  contributed  more  to 
the  true  welfare  of  this  community  and  its  people  than 
did  he. 

These  allusions  to  the  Academy  invite  our  attention  to 
the  growth  and  development  of  that  institution.  Fifty 
years  ago  its  instructors  numbered  five  and  its  pupils  less 
than  a  hundred,  and  the  courses  offered  were  limited  to  two 


JUDGE  PRENTICE  S  ADDRESS.  129 

— a  classical  and  an  English.  The  latest  catalogue  shows 
444  students  in  attendance,  and  a  teaching  force  of  25,  and 
its  courses  have  been  greatly  extended  and  diversified.  In 
1859  a  single  building  amply  supplied  all  its  needs.  Today 
its  teaching  facilities  overtax  the  capacity  of  four.  Its 
beautiful  Slater  Memorial,  dedicated  in  1885,  was  built,  en- 
dowed and  its  valuable  museum  supplied  by  the  munificence 
of  William  A.  Slater,  one  of  its  graduates.  Its  Manual 
Training  building,  completed  in  1895,  was  the  gift  of  its 
alumni.  The  latest  addition  to  the  group  was  made  in  1907, 
when  a  legacy  contained  in  the  will  of  the  late  Colonel 
Charles  A.  Converse  supplied  the  means  for  the  erection  of 
the  Converse  Art  Gallery.  The  fifty  persons  who  in  1855 
combined  to  contribute  the  original  fund  for  the  establish- 
ment of  this  institution  were  as  far-sighted  as  they  were 
public  spirited.  But  whatever  prophetic  vision  they  or  those 
others  who  in  the  early  years  came  to  its  help  may  have 
had  of  the  future  of  the  Academy,  and  whatever  dreams 
may  have  been  theirs  as  to  the  service  it  would  in 
years  to  come  render  to  this  community,  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  not  one  of  them  had  pictured  to  himself  in  all  its  full- 
ness what  has  already  come  to  pass.  Here,  year  by  year,  a 
very  large  proportion  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Norwich, 
drawn  from  every  walk  in  life,  together  with  many  from 
the  surrounding  country,  have  come  under  the  influence  of 
exceptional  educational  advantages,  been  thus  led  into  a 
broader  and  better  vision  of  life  and  its  possibilities,  and 
been  prepared  for  a  worthy  citizenship.  The  consequence 
has  been,  has  it  not,  that  the  Academy  has  come  to  touch 
the  heart  and  life  of  this  people  more  closely  than  any  other 
institution  here.  Ample  evidence  of  this  is  found  in  the 
large  number  who  have  become  its  benefactors,  and  the 
large  total  of  their  benefactions,  which  approximates  three- 
quarters  of  a  million  of  dollars.  This  is  a  generous  offering 
to  a  single  cause  by  a  community  no  larger  than  this.  The 
harvest  has  already  been  a  bountiful  one,  and  the  end  is 
not  yet. 


I3O  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

It  was  during  the  years  of  my  attendance  at  the  Acad- 
emy, and  the  half  dozen  immediately  following,  that  I  re- 
ceived very  distinct  impressions  of  the  men  who  were 
prominent  in  the  financial  and  business  circles  of  this  town. 
I  still  retain  vivid  recollections  of  such  men  as  the  Nortons, 
the  Buckinghams,  the  Johnsons,  the  Osgoods,  the  Greenes, 
the  Hubbards,  John  F.  Slater,  Lorenzo  Blackstone,  J.  M. 
Huntington,  David  Smith,  Moses  Pierce,  James  S.  Carew, 
Amos  W.  Prentice,  E.  Winslow  Williams,  John  Mitchell 
and  Edward  Chappell.  It  seemed  to  me  in  those  days  that 
these  men  were  of  the  very  stuff  of  which,  to  borrow  a 
modern  term,  captains  of  finance  and  business  are  made. 
I  now  appreciate  that  I  may  have  painted  them  in  too  glow- 
ing colors.  But  I  am  still  convinced  that  I  did  not  misjudge 
them  in  this,  that  in  their  character,  their  dignity,  their 
self-respecting  ideals  and  their  sense  of  their  private  and 
public  responsibilities  they  represented  in  a  pre-eminent 
way  that  class  which  makes  business  honorable,  and  its  re- 
wards a  public  blessing. 

During  these  years  Norwich  was  fortunate  in  the  qual- 
ity and  power  of  its  clergy.  The  venerable  Doctor  Arms 
was  the  pastor  of  the  First  church,  as  he  had  been  since 
1836.  In  1864  Doctor  Bond,  after  nearly  thirty  years  of 
service  at  the  Second,  had  sought  a  well  earned  retirement, 
and  had  been  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  M.  M.  G.  Dana,  who  in 
1874  joined  in  the  organization  of  the  Park  church.  In  1865 
Doctor  Gulliver  had  left  the  Broadway,  and  in  1868  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Merriman,  a  preacher  of  un- 
usual power.  Doctor  Samuel  Graves  was  at  the  Central 
Baptist;  the  Revs.  David  F.  Banks  and  John  Binney  were 
in  succession  at  Christ;  and  Father  Daniel  Mullin  was 
exerting  a  far-reaching  influence  for  good  at  St.  Mary's. 

If  we  turn  to  the  bar,  we  discover  in  Norwich  during 
the  period  we  have  thus  far  been  considering  a  striking 
group  of  lawyers.  It  included  Senator  Foster,  who  after 
his  retirement  from  the  senate  was  summoned  to  service 
upon  the  supreme  court  of  the  state ;  James  A.  Hovey, 
John  T.  Wait,  Edmund  Perkins,  George  Pratt  and  Jeremiah 


JUDGE  PRENTICE  S  ADDRESS. 

Halsey.  These  men  were  of  distinctly  different  types,  and 
their  strength  lay  in  different  directions,  but  they  were  all 
forceful  factors  in  their  profession,  and  in  the  life  of  this 
community.  In  this  connection  mention  should  be  made  of 
John  D.  Park.  In  1855  he  was,  at  an  early  age,  chosen  to 
a  judgeship  of  the  superior  court,  and  in  1864  he  became  a 
member  of  the  supreme  court.  In  1870  he  was  made  chief 
justice,  which  office  he  continued  to  hold  until  his  retire- 
ment age  was  reached  in  1889.  Thus  withdrawn  from  the 
activities  of  his  profession  during  the  best  years  of  his  life, 
he  was  naturally  less  identified  with  local  affairs  than  those 
already  named.  It  should  also  be  remembered  that  in  1862 
there  enlisted  from  this  town  a  young  man  of  22,  who  as  a 
boy  of  9  had  been  brought  here  from  his  Scottish  birthplace 
by  his  widowed  mother,  who  grew  up  to  manhood  here, 
and  who  lived  to  become  that  honored  and  able  and  beloved 
man,  the  late  Chief  Justice  Torrance.  Following  his  return 
from  the  service  he  settled  elsewhere,  and  his  professional 
and  public  successes  were  there  achieved,  but  the  founda- 
tions of  them  were  here  firmly  laid  under  conditions  of  self- 
denial  and  struggle. 

I  feel  that  I  should  fail  in  my  duty  upon  this  occasion 
if  I  dismissed  this  group  of  men  without  a  fuller  recognition 
of  the  character  and  career  of  one  of  them.  Jeremiah  Halsey 
was  a  born  lawyer.  Nature  endowed  him  with  her  choicest 
gifts  of  intellect  and  character,  and  he  assiduously  devoted 
his  many  years  of  life  to  the  service  of  his  profession.  No 
one  would  have  acknowledged  more  cheerfully  his  primacy 
at  this  bar  than  the  ablest  among  his  contemporaries.  He 
was  the  ideal  product  of  the  rural  life  which  bred  him,  and 
of  the  life  here  which  contributed  to  fashion  him.  In  my 
youth  I  was  taught  to  think  that  all  the  noblest  qualities  of 
manhood,  and  the  highest  legal  erudition  were  met  in  him. 
The  personal  observations  of  my  later  years  have  not  caused 
me  to  essentially  modify  this  early  impression.  And  the 
verdict  of  those  of  his  contemporaries,  the  state  over,  who 
were  best  qualified  to  judge,  was  to  the  same  general  effect. 
Was  ever  a  man  more  simple  in  his  life  and  manner,  more 


132  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

pure  and  sweet  in  his  living,  more  gentle  and  sympathetic 
in  his  spirit,  more  unselfish  and  helpful  in  his  conduct?  He 
went  in  and  out  among  this  people  as  humbly  as  the  hum- 
blest of  them.  And  yet  he  must  have  known  that  he  pos- 
sessed a  power  within  himself  and  wielded  an  influence 
over  others  which  was  rare  indeed.  The  secrets  of  that 
power  and  influence  are  not  hard  to  discover.  His  vision 
was  clear  and  profound.  He  knew  how  to  analyze  correctly, 
to  discriminate  justly  and  to  reason  soundly  and  honestly. 
He  was  not  an  orator  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  that  term. 
But  his  power  of  simple,  direct  expression,  his  ability  to 
arrange  and  array  facts  and  propositions  and  his  luminous- 
ness  of  statement  were  such  as  to  make  him  a  master  in 
the  presence  of  either  court  or  jury.  To  these  gifts  he 
added  the  superlative  one  of  character.  He  carried  the  high 
ideals  of  his  private  life  into  his  professional  labors.  His 
conscience  accepted  no  retainers.  It  was  simply  impossible 
for  him  to  dissemble,  deceive,  or  be  unfair  and  unfrank. 
Casuistry  he  knew  not.  Artful  practices  and  tricks,  all  too 
common,  he  scorned.  This  everybody  knew — could  not  help 
knowing.  The  result  was  that  he  came  to  exercise  an 
influence  in  this  region,  and  to  occupy  a  position  at  the  bar 
of  this  state  which  few  indeed  could  claim  to  share  with 
him. 

No  enumeration  of  the  men  in  whose  achievements 
Norwich  has  taken  a  just  pride  would  be  complete  which 
did  not  include  those  of  her  sons  by  birth  or  adoption,  who 
have  won  for  themselves  during  the  half  century  just  closed 
high  place  in  the  field  of  letters  or  as  educators,  journalists 
or  publicists.  Upon  this  roll  of  honor  belong  the  names  of 
Donald  G.  Mitchell  and  President  Daniel  Coit  Oilman,  both 
born  here ;  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman.  who  passed  most  of 
his  younger  years  here,  and  began  his  life  work  as  the  editor 
of  the  Norwich  Tribune;  President  William  J.  Tucker  of 
Dartmouth,  born  in  Griswold,  but  soon  coming  with  his 
father  to  Norwich ;  Isaac  H.  Bromley,  already  referred  to, 
and  David  A.  Wells,  who  passed  the  later  years  of  his  life 
among  yon. 


JUDGE  PRENTICE'S  ADDRESS.  133 

We  have  thus  far  only  incidentally  touched  upon  the 
events  of  the  last  twenty-five  or  thirty  years.  As  I  am 
bound  not  to  forget  the  role  in  which  I  appear,  I  do  not 
feel  at  liberty  to  pass  them  by  wholly  unnoticed.  But  they 
belong  so  nearly  to  the  things  of  today,  and  so  many  of  the 
chief  actors  in  them  are  of  the  living  present,  that  I  feel 
constrained  to  refrain  from  further  comments  upon  men, 
and  to  confine  the  little  which  I  feel  obliged  not  to  omit 
to  a  barren  recital  of  those  happenings  which  possess  that 
public  importance  and  interest  which  entitle  them  to  a  place 
in  a  record  of  the  time,  however  fragmentary. 

The  limits  of  the  city  have  been  extended  four  times, 
and  those  of  the  town  once.  In  1874  the  Greeneville  sec- 
tion was  added  to  the  city,  as  were  Laurel  Hill  and  Boswell- 
ville  in  1875.  In  1901  the  western  portion  of  the  town  of 
Preston  was  taken  into  both  the  town  and  city,  and  in  1907 
that  portion  of  Mohegan  park  which  lay  without  the  city 
limits  was  included  in  them.  In  1870  the  completion  of  the 
city's  fine  water  supply  system,  work  upon  which  had  been 
begun  in  1867,  was  fittingly  celebrated,  and  on  July  4  Presi- 
dent Grant  honored  the  city  with  a  visit,  and  received  the 
enthusiastic  welcome  of  its  people.  The  same  year  the  first 
street  railway  line  was  built.  It  extended  from  Greeneville 
to  Bean  Hill.  It  was  electrified  in  1892,  and  since  that  time 
radiating  lines  have  been  constructed  furnishing  direct  and 
convenient  communication  with  a  large  portion  of  eastern 
Connecticut.  In  1904  the  city  became  the  owner  of  its 
lighting  plant.  The  year  1873  saw  the  occupation  of  the 
combined  court,  town  and  city  building,  which  during  the 
last  year  or  two  has  been  undergoing  the  process  of  enlarge- 
ment to  meet  the  increasing  demands  upon  it.  The  spring 
of  this  same  year  also  witnessed  the  erection  at  the  head  of 
the  Great  Plain  of  the  monument  to  the  memory  of  the 
soldiers  and  sailors  of  the  Civil  war.  This  theater  was 
opened  in  1890.  The  following  year  the  Otis  library  was 
made  free,  and  in  1892  enlarged,  and  thus  the  way  prepared 
for  the  invaluable  work  it  is  now  doing.  The  year  1893  was 
made  memorable  by  the  completion  of  the  William  W. 


134  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Backus  hospital,  for  whose  beautiful  location,  admirable 
plant  and  ample  endowment  Norwich  owes  an  inestimable 
debt  of  gratitude  to  Mr.  Backus  and  to  that  most  generous 
of  her  sons,  William  A.  Slater.  In  1894  the  Masonic  temple 
was  dedicated,  and  in  1905  the  new  post  office  was  opened. 

An  untoward  event  of  the  last  few  months  impels  me 
to  depart  from  my  resolve  to  remain  silent  concerning  those 
who  have  been  participants  in  the  activities  and  life  of  this 
people  during  the  more  recent  years.  I  knew  Frank  T. 
Brown  at  the  Academy  and  at  Yale.  It  was  my  privilege 
to  continue  my  acquaintance  with  him,  and  to  observe  his 
career  during  the  years  which  have  since  passed.  I  saw  his 
steady  progress  in  his  profession,  and  in  the  confidence  of 
all  who  knew  him  until  the  time  had  come  when  he  could, 
without  presumption,  claim  to  be  the  peer  of  the  select  few 
best  lawyers  of  the  state,  when  his  professional  brethren 
cheerfully  recognized  his  right  to  that  high  position,  and 
when  the  rewards  of  such  a  reputation  were  coming  to 
him.  His  foot  was  already  upon  the  topmost  round  of  the 
ladder,  and  he  had  justified  his  right  by  virtue  of  both  ability 
and  character,  to  assume  the  succession  to  Strong  and 
Halsey  and  continue  that  notable  line,  when  the  end  came. 
The  loss  to  a  community  like  this  of  a  man  of  such  abilities, 
such  force,  such  character,  such  courage  for  the  right  and 
such  public  spirit  is  one  which  it  is  hard  to  measure.  Who 
is  there  that,  taking  heed  of  his  example  and  of  that  of  those 
whom  he  followed,  shall  prove  himself  worthy  to  follow 
him? 

The  year  1859  saw  this  town  a  group  of  approximately 
14,000  persons.  They  were,  as  I  have  already  had  occasion 
to  notice,  largely  of  the  old  New  England  stock,  and  retained 
to  a  striking  degree  the  strong  and  sturdy  characteristics  of 
their  inheritance.  Their  homes  were  scattered  over  a  terri- 
tory which  Providence  had  lavishly  endowed  with  its  gifts 
of  natural  beauty.  Towering  hill  looked  out  upon  towering 
hill,  and  down  upon  fertile  valleys  and  gentle  rivers.  Wood- 
land and  rock  and  meadow  in  striking  contrast  added  diver- 
sity to  the  scene.  Many  of  these  homes  were  of  historic 


JUDGE  PRENTICE'S  ADDRESS.  135 

interest,  and  carried  one's  thoughts  back  to  the  early  days. 
The  principal  thoroughfares  were  lined  in  profusion  with 
attractive  houses  set  in  generous  spaces  which  bespoke  the 
taste,  the  prosperity  and  the  comfort  which  characterized 
the  life  within.  The  symbols  of  prosperity,  content  and 
happiness  were  disclosed  on  every  hand.  It  was  easy  to 
discover  the  dominating  presence  of  the  typical  New 
England  character  and  thrift.  The  homes  of  the  lowly  as 
well  as  those  of  the  comparatively  rich  told  the  same  story. 
For  miles  about  lay  a  thriving  farming  community  which 
looked  to  Norwich  as  its  business,  social  and  political  center. 
Its  members  were  of  the  same  New  England  stock  and  type. 
From  this  source  Norwich  was  drawing,  and  had  long 
drawn,  not  only  the  material  advantages  of  trade,  but  also, 
what  was  of  infinitely  more  value,  a  constant  reinforcement 
of  the  best  sort  of  its  business,  professional  and  social 
forces. 

Fifty  years  have  passed.  They  have  been  eventful  ones, 
and  have  witnessed  great  changes  in  the  business,  industrial 
and  social  life  of  this  country.  Material  prosperity  has 
abounded;  the  spheres  of  business  activity  have  wonder- 
fully broadened;  industrial  growth  and  expansion  has  been 
marvelous,  and  populations  have  multiplied  and  centralized 
as  never  before  in  our  history.  Many  centers  of  population 
have  increased  in  numbers  and  been  transformed  in  charac- 
ter so  as  to  be  scarcely  recognizable.  Riches  have  been 
amazingly  multiplied,  and  have  fallen  to  the  lot  of  very 
many  who  had  not  been  trained  to  their  use.  Extravagance 
and  display  have  set  their  alluring  examples  in  many  quar- 
ters, making  simple  and  unostentatious  living  harder  and 
less  common  than  it  used  to  be.  New  standards  of  various 
sorts  have  come  to  supplant  the  old,  and  former  ideals  have 
given  place  to  others.  The  changes  which  have  taken  place, 
however,  have  been  by  no  means  uniform.  Cities  have 
prospered  and  increased,  where  country  has  not  to  the  same 
extent,  or  not  at  all.  Some  cities  have  thriven  and  grown 
almost  in  spite  of  themselves,  where  others  have  had  to  plod 
their  way  to  larger  things.  Some  communities  have  found 


136  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

wealth  dropping  into  their  laps  with  the  minimum  of  effort, 
while  others  have  been  obliged  to  win  their  achievements 
by  persistent  endeavor.  Nature's  bounty  has  not  been  the 
same  to  all  sections ;  the  advantages  of  location  have  not 
been  uniform ;  and  the  facilities  of  transportation,  which 
have  played  a  large  part  in  industrial  and  business  history, 
have  not  been  shared  in  equal  measure.  Norwich  has  not 
found  itself  the  beneficiary  of  some  great  natural  deposit 
of  coal,  iron  ore,  oil,  gas,  copper  or  gold  to  contribute  to 
the  expansion  of  its  industries,  the  increase  of  its  popula- 
tion and  its  accumulation  of  wealth.  It  has  not  found  itself 
the  center  of  some  great  industrial  development.  It  has  not 
been  favored  by  exceptional  transportation  facilities.  The 
great  lines  of  railway  passed  it  by  on  either  hand.  It  has 
thus  been  left  without  those  aids  to  growth  which  certain 
other  places  have  in  greater  or  less  degree  enjoyed,  and  it 
has  been  compelled  to  rely  for  the  most  part  upon  the  re- 
sources and  energy  of  its  people  for  what  it  has  attained. 
The  situation,  however,  has  not  been  without  its  compensa- 
tions. Success  won  by  effort  is  blessed  in  the  winning.  It 
is  blessed  in  the  character  it  develops,  and  in  the  type  of 
manhood  it  creates.  And  there  has  been  success.  Of  this 
there  are  evidences  on  every  hand,  and  the  fact  that  the 
population  has  practically  doubled  within  the  last  fifty 
years  amply  attests  it.  But  the  conditions  have  not  been 
such  as  to  invite  a  heterogeneous  population  of  all  sorts  and 
kinds  to  the  extent  and  of  the  character  found  in  some  other 
localities.  Sudden  wealth  has  not  come  to  many,  and  to 
many  unfit  to  use  it.  The  new  rich  do  not  infest  its  streets 
and  knock  at  the  door  of  its  society.  What  has  come  has 
been  earned,  and  in  the  earning  the  stability,  the  solidity 
and  the  strength  of  the  old  days  has  not  been  dissipated. 
The  dignity  of  the  simple  life  in  its  best  sense  has  not  been 
lost  sight  of;  nor  the  standards  and  ideals  of  the  former 
days  forgotten.  There  has  been  retained  a  closer  touch 
with  the  country  than  is  common  with  cities.  The  ranks  of 
its  trade  and  its  professions  have  been  recruited  very  largely 
from  the  surrounding  farms  and  villages,  and  that  influence 


JUDGE  PRENTICE  S  ADDRESS.  137 

has  been  a  constantly  powerful  and  wholesome  one.  The 
best  blood  of  the  country  round  about,  and  the  most  of  it 
the  blood  of  a  New  England  ancestry,  has  flowed  to  this 
center  to  invigorate  its  life.  As  a  result  of  all  these  influ- 
ences and  conditions  Norwich,  it  seems  to  me,  is  today 
more  truly  representative  of  the  old  New  England  spirit, 
and  better  typifies  the  life  and  thought  and  sterling  charac- 
ter of  the  fathers  than  any  other  large  and  growing  center 
of  population  of  my  acquaintance. 

She  now  enters  upon  another  half  century  of  her  his- 
tory. What  the  future  will  bring  forth  we  know  not.  But 
I  can  conceive  of  no  nobler  ambition  for  her  sons — no  wor- 
thier standard  for  them  to  set  up — than  that  they  remain 
true  to  the  ideals  of  the  past  which  are  their  inheritance, 
and  that  they  continue  untarnished  the  record  of  high 
minded  endeavor  which  has  marked  her  history  hitherto. 


The  interesting  allusions  of  Judge  Prentice  to  events 
and  persons  within  the  remembrance  of  many  of  his  hearers 
were  listened  to  with  deep  interest. 

A  hymn, 

"Like  boulders,  down  an  alien  land, 
Our  fathers  moved  before  Thy  Hand; 
And  on  the  foothills  of  the  free 
They  rise  memorial  to  Thee," 

composed  for  the  occasion  by  Margaret  W.  Fuller,  with 
original  music  by  Frederick  W.  Lester,  was  then  sung  by 
the  choir,  and  received  warm  applause  from  the  audience. 

The  words  and  music  are  printed  in  full  on  following 
pages. 


ANNIVERSARY   HYMN 

MARGARET  W.  FULLER  FREDERICK  W.  LESTER 


1.  Like  boulders  down  an  al  -  ien  land  Our  fathers  moved  before  Thy  hand;  and 

I  i 


=g= 


on    the  foot-hills  of     the  free  They  rise  me-mo-ri  -   al    to  Thee.  What 


fixed  their  choice  on    bar-ren  slope? — Or  in     a    wil  -  derness  their  hope?  Lone 


iifc£z^L4t^H"fH^ 

-p-fr  r    P — [    i  i  r    r;  r   i  i  i  ~^~ 


ere*. 


boulders  wrench'd  from  heedless  sod  They  moved  before  un  -  err -ing  God. 


Moulder  of  men !  their  faith  was  plain — Thou  bro  ugh  test  them :  Didst  Thou  sustain  ?Their 


Poem  copyright,  1909,  by  MARGARET  W.  FULLER 


ANNIVERSARY    HYMN 


shad-ow  is      the    garden  close  Where  safely  spreads  the  grateful  Rose.The 


r^f-J  —  «L*-rf 


foot -less  a-  ges  drift  like  sandjWe  come,  we  go — nor  un  -  derstand:Yet 


J 

-    — a-HB*-1 — •) — -i 
— «— • — ^ — *3- 


ores.     .     .     .  "> 

--J-         |    i^        | 

W M 


f 


sure    as  light  grows  with  the  morn  The  souls  that  trust  in  Thee  live  on.  Oh 


God,  our  fa-thers' God, whom  we  call   Fa-ther, Thou  our  Fa-ther   be!   And 


I      crea. 


i-f-   ,   IT-J-* — h-r£ 

X —  — • —        ~  • — 

t=f==3=3±=3=* — gubts 


F^^^^=4 


*=«*=! 


1 


let    Thy  childrens'  children  stand  Me  -  mo  -  rials  of  Thy  guid-ing  hand. 


5 

r 


I4O  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Edmund  Clarence  Stedman's  poem,  The  Inland  City, 
was  then  read  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Pratt,  and  verses  written  by 
the  Rev.  Anson  G.  Chester  for  the  celebration  were  read 
by  Henry  A.  Tirrell. 

The  exercises  at  the  theater  closed  with  the  singing 
of  "My  Country,  'tis  of  Thee"  by  the  choir  and  audience, 
accompanied  by  the  band. 

An  organ  recital  in  Broadway  church  by  R.  Huntington 
Woodman,  formerly  of  Norwich,  followed  the  literary  exer- 
cises, and  in  the  afternoon  and  evening  concerts  were  given 
by  Tubbs'  military  band  on  the  reviewing  stand  and  at 
Union  square. 

After  several  attempts  that  were  not  entirely  success- 
ful in  consequence  of  high  winds,  Capt.  Baldwin  made  an 
ascension  in  his  airship  at  about  six  o'clock  on  Tuesday 
afternoon,  and,  after  rising  to  a  height  of  perhaps  a  thousand 
feet  above  the  fair  grounds,  circled  about  for  ten  minutes 
to  the  gratification  of  an  admiring  crowd. 

In  the  evening  a  flotilla  of  thirty  or  forty  power  boats, 
canoes  and  other  craft,  beautifully  decorated  with  Japanese 
lanterns,  paraded  on  the  Thames  river,  which  was  enlivened 
by  music  from  Tubbs'  band  on  the  steamboat  Sightseer. 

This  ended  the  third  and  last  day  of  the  celebration. 


Invitations  and  Badges. 

The  invitation  committee  issued  a  beautifully  engraved 
invitation,  embellished  with  a  view  of  Norwich  as  it  ap- 
peared in  1859  from  a  point  on  the  Thames  river,  and  with 
devices  embossed  in  colors  representing  the  flag  of  the  city 
and  the  Rose  of  New  England.  The  invitation  was  in  these 
words : 

Norwich 

Welcomes  home  her  children. 

On  July  fifth  and  sixth,  nineteen  hundred  and  nine 

Norwich,   Connecticut,  will   celebrate  the 

Two  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary 

of  the  Founding  of  the  Town, 

and  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-Fifth 

of  the  Incorporation  of  the  City. 


INVITATION  AND  BADGES. 

It  is  earnestly  desired  that  all  who  by  ties  of  birth, 
ancestry  or  former  residence  are  connected  with  our  town 
shall  unite  in  this  celebration.  Now  in  behalf  of  the  Citizens 
of  Norwich  we  extend  a  cordial  invitation  to  you  and  yours 
to  come  home  and  join  us  in  making  the  event  one  that  shall 
long  be  remembered  in  the  history  of  the  Old  Town  of 
Norwich. 

The  Invitation  Committee, 

William  H.  Shields,  Chairman. 

The  committee  also  provided  an  elaborate  silk  badge, 
nine  inches  long  and  two  inches  wide,  woven  in  red,  white, 
blue  and  gold  colors,  decorated  with  United  States  flags  and 
a  full-blown  rose,  and  suspended  from  a  gold  bar.  The 
badge,  which  of  course  cannot  be  reproduced  here,  bore 
these  words  woven  in  silk  : 

Norwich 

Connecticut 

"The  Rose  of  New  England" 


Anniversary 
Founding  of  the  Town 

1  25th  Anniversary 
Incorporation  of  the  City 

Celebration 
July  5th  &  6th,  1909. 

Good  Old  Norwich  !  How  I  love  thee  — 

Love  thy  strong  and  massive  hills; 
Love  the  rushing  of  thy  rivers 

And  the  babbling  of  thy  rills  ; 
Love  thy  rocks  that  rise  like  bastions, 

And  the  vales  that  stretch  below  ; 
Love  thy  summers  with  their  sunshine 

And  thy  winters  with  their  snow  ; 


142  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Love  thy  cedars,  such  as  furnished 

Unto  Lebanon  its  fame; 
Love  the  glories  of  thy  landscapes, 

And  the  glory  of  thy  name ; 
As  a  mother  loves  her  darlings, 

As  a  sailor  loves  the  sea, 
As  a  woman  loves  her  idols, 

So,  dear  Norwich,  love  I  thee. 

Anson  G.  Chester,  1859. 

Besides  this  were  smaller  silk  badges  with  medallions 
for  the  members  of  the  various  committees. 

Loan  Exhibition. 

During  the  celebration  Faith  Trumbull  Chapter,  D.  A. 
R.,  maintained  in  the  Converse  Art  Gallery  a  large  and  in- 
teresting exhibition  of  antique  furniture,  porcelain,  silver, 
pictures,  and  other  objects  of  historic  value  which  attracted 
much  attention.  The  catalogue,  in  part,  will  appear  in  the 
appendix. 

Greetings  from  Old  Norwich. 

The  following  cablegram  was  received  on  the  second 
day  of  the  celebration : 

Norwich,  England,  July  5,  1909. 
Gilbert  S.  Raymond, 

Secretary  of  Anniversary  Celebration  Committee, 
Norwich,  Conn.,  U.  S.  A. 

City  of  Norwich  sends  hearty  congratulations  to 
American  daughter  on  her  attaining  250  years. 

(Signed)       Walter  Rye,  Mayor. 

To  this  friendly  greeting  a  suitable  reply  was  returned 
by  the  Secretary. 


FINANCIAL   STATEMENT.  143 

Statement  of  Receipts  and  Disbursements  of  Charles  W. 
Gale,  Treasurer  Norwich  Celebration. 

Receipts : 

Town  of  Norwich $  5,000.00 

City  of  Norwich 1,000.00 

Sale  of  Seats  on  Reviewing  Stand 508.00 

Sale  of  Invitations  and  Magazines 200.00 

Sale  of  Badges  590.60 

Returned  by  D.  A.  R 22.31 

Returned  by  Amusement  Committee 144.06 

General  Subscriptions 8,510.50 


$15,97547 


Disbursements : 

Executive  Committee   $  5,079.18 

Invitation  Committee   400.81 

Committee  on  Literary  Exercises  22.85 

Finance  Committee  444-4O 

Amusement  Committee   2,088.15 

Music   Committee    1,584.58 

Fireworks    Committee    1,403.82 

Publicity  Committee 561.32 

Decoration  Committee   2,146.48 

Hospitality  Committee 1,178.88 

Ways  and  Means  Committee  43-^5 

Band  Stand  Committee 87.70 

Reviewing  Stand  Committee   500.00 

Balance  turned  over  to  The  Centennial  Publish- 
ing Co 433-65 

$15,975-47 


CONCLUSION. 

The  people  of  Norwich,  looking  back  after  the  lapse  of 
more  than  two  years,  may  well  congratulate  themselves  in 
sober  second  thought  that  their  celebration  was  a  complete 
success.  Favored  by  the  weather,  and  by  the  presence  of 
distinguished  guests,  and  by  a  great  concourse  of  visiting 
friends  and  strangers,  there  was  no  disorder  and  no  accident 
to  mar  the  pleasure  of  the  occasion.  While  varied  enter- 
tainments were  provided  for  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men, 
and  while  the  celebration  was  universally  observed  as  a 
joyous  festival,  its  dignified  character  raised  it  far  above 
the  level  of  a  carnival  or  a  boisterous  holiday. 

It  was  an  occasion  of  general  happiness,  of  pious  re- 
membrance of  the  brave  men  and  women  who  came  to  make 
a  hazard  of  new  fortunes  in  this  unknown  land  two  hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago,  to  establish  here  homes  and  schools  and 
churches,  to  plant  fields  and  orchards,  to  build  roads  and 
bridges,  and  to  lay  foundations  broad  and  deep  whereon 
succeeding  generations  have  continued  to  build.  It  was  an 
occasion  of  devout  thanksgiving  that  to  those  who  are  here 
living  upon  the  earth  the  lines  have  fallen  in  pleasant  places, 
and  that  theirs  is  a  goodly  heritage;  an  occasion  of  high 
resolve  that  here  shall  be  maintained  the  best  traditions  of 
the  Fathers. 

When  the  Fathers  came  hither  the  wilderness  and  the 
solitary  places  were  glad  for  them,  and  the  wild  Rose  of 
New  England,  which  they  found  in  its  native  soil  and  sus- 
tained with  their  fostering  care,  continues  to  grow  and 
blossom  in  perennial  beauty.  And  so,  contemplating  the 
past  with  serene  satisfaction,  those  who  now  occupy  the 
stage  may  say,  "God  speed  the  coming  generations,"  su- 
premely confident  that,  under  Divine  protection,  Norwich 
will  be  happier  and  brighter  and  better  in  the  next  half 
century  because  it  is  their  dwelling  place. 

THE  END. 


APPENDIX. 

Official  Program 

of  the 
25oth  Anniversary  of  the  Founding  of  the  Town 

and  the 
1 2 5th  Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation 

of  the  City 
July  4,  5,  and  6,  1909. 

Sunday,  July  4,  1909. 

Historical  sermons  will  be  delivered  in  the  churches  at 
their  usual  hour  of  service. 

The  graves  in  the  old  town  burying  ground  at  Norwich 
Town  and  the  Mason  monument  will  be  decorated. 

In  the  afternoon  at  4  o'clock  there  will  be  a  memorial 
service  in  the  old  burying  ground  at  Norwich  Town,  as 
follows : 

Welcome  in  the  Name  of  the  Founders,  Dr.  F.  P. 
Gulliver. 

Invocation — Rev.  George  H.  Ewing  of  the  First  Con- 
gregational church. 

Address — Rev.  Lewellyn  Pratt,  D.D. 

Address — Rev.  Charles  A.  Northrop. 

Frederick  W.  Lester  and  a  choir  of  selected  voices  will 
lead  in  the  singing  of  several  old  hymns. 

At  5  o'clock  an  organ  recital  will  be  given  in  the  old 
First  church  by  H.  L.  Yerrington,  assisted  by  G.  Avery 
Ray,  tenor. 

Monday,  July  5,  1909. 

At  sunrise,  4.31  a.  m.,  all  the  bells  in  the  city  will  ring 
for  half  an  hour. 

At  9  a.  m. — The  first  ascension  of  the  airship,  "The 
California  Arrow,"  owned  and  operated  by  Capt.  Thomas 
Scott  Baldwin,  will  take  place,  at  the  New  London  County 


146  NORWICH  QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Fair  Grounds.  The  flight  will  be  made  over  the  entire  city 
so  that  all  may  have  a  good  view.  This  will  be  the  first 
ascension  of  an  airship  in  the  state.  At  the  same  time  and 
place  the  athletic  events  will  be  held. 

Upon  the  entry  of  the  President  into  the  city,  at  about 
9.45  a.  m.,  the  Presidential  salute  of  twenty-one  guns  will 
be  fired  by  a  battery  on  Geer's  hill. 

At  10  a.  m. — In  the  lot  back  of  the  Norwich  Club 
House,  entrance  through  the  Joseph  Perkins  road  or  at 
the  upper  end  of  McKinley  avenue,  there  will  be  presented 
a  series  of  Historical  Reproductions  consisting  of  scenes  of 
the  early  Indian  life,  the  signing  of  the  deed  by  Uncas  and 
the  Founders,  the  visit  of  Washington  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  the  return  of  the  soldiers  from  the  Civil  War ; 
the  present  to  be  represented  by  Coast  Artillery  and  the 
future  personified  by  500  school  children.  The  Putnam 
Phalanx  will  also  give  a  parade  drill. 

At  12  o'clock  a  reception  will  be  tendered  the  President, 
the  distinguished  guests  and  the  officials  of  the  celebration 
by  Hon.  Winslow  Tracy  Williams  at  Rockclyffe. 

At  i  p.  m. — The  grand  parade  will  form  as  follows, 
starting  promptly  at  2  p.  m. : 

First  Division — Midshipmen  and  Regulars,  on  Broad- 
way, right  resting  on  Main  street;  Coast  Artillery  Corps, 
Governor's  Foot  Guards,  Putnam  Phalanx  and  G.  A.  R., 
on  Shetucket  street,  right  resting  on  Main  street. 

Second  Division — Commerce  street,  right  resting  on 
Market  street. 

Third  Division — Church  street,  right  resting  on  Wash- 
ington square. 

Fourth  Division — Little  Water  street,  right  resting  on 
Shetucket  street. 

Fifth  and  Sixth  Divisions — Floats — North  Main  street, 
right  resting  on  East  Main  street. 

The  line  of  march  will  be  from  Broadway  to  East  Main 
and  countermarch  up  Broadway  to  Harland  road.  First 
Division  countermarch  to  Williams  avenue;  Second  Divi- 
sion to  Williams  street ;  Third  Division  to  Lincoln  avenue ; 


OFFICIAL  PROGRAM.  147 

Fourth  Division  to  Sachem  street ;  Fifth  and  Sixth  Divisions 
continue  to  march  to  and  around  the  Norwich  Town  Green. 
Divisions  will  form  en  masse  on  above  streets  and  after- 
wards continue  march  down  Washington  and  Main  streets 
and  then  be  dismissed. 

The  Divisions  will  be  composed  as  follows : 

Platoon  of  Police. 
Chief  Marshal  Col.  C.  W.  Gale  and  Staff. 

First  Division. 

Lieut.  Col.  Henry  S.  Dorsey  and  Staff. 

Tubbs's  Military  Band. 
Battalion  of  600  Midshipmen  from  Annapolis. 

Eleventh  Band,  U.  S.  C.  A.  C. 

Battalion  of  Four  Companies  U.  S.  Regular  Army. 

President  of  the  United  States,  William  H.  Taft. 

Hatch's  First  Infantry  Band,  C.  N.  G. 

Battalion  Six  Companies  C.  A.  Corps. 

Foot  Guard  Band. 
Second  Company,  Governor's  Foot  Guard. 

Foot  Guard  Band. 
First  Company,   Governor's  Foot  Guard. 

Governor  Weeks  and  Staff. 
Representatives  of  Town  and  City. 

Putnam  Phalanx. 
Sedgwick  Post,  G.  A.  R. 

Second  Division. 

Maj.  William  A.  Wells  and  Staff. 

Newark  Letter  Carriers'  Band. 

Postmaster  and  Government  Employees. 

Mohegan  Indians. 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 

O.  B.  A.  Society,  No.  62. 

I.  O.  B.  A.  Society,  No.  309. 

Joseph  Garibaldi  Society. 


148  NORWICH   QUARTER   MILLENNIUM. 

Putnam  City  Band. 

United  German  Societies. 

Italian  Benevolent  Society. 

St.  Jean  Baptiste  Society. 

Worcester  Cadet  Band. 

Swedish  Societies. 

Yantic  Fire  Engine  Co. 

1859—1909. 

Third  Division. 

Col.  John  P.  Murphy  and  Staff. 

Red  Men. 

Wheeler's  Wlllimantic  Band. 
Second  Division,  A.  O.  H. 

Irish  Jaunting  Car. 

St.  Mary's  Fife  and  Drum  Corps,  New  Britain. 

A.  O.  H.  Knights,  New  Britain. 

First  Division,  A.  O.  H. 

Knights  of  Columbus. 

Westerly  Band. 

St.  Mary's  T.  A.  and  B.  Society. 
Temperance  Cadets'  Drum  Corps. 

Tierney  Cadets. 
St.  Anne's  Temperance  Society. 

Pulaski  Band. 
St.  George's  Society. 

Sokel  Polski. 

Slater  Band  of  Jewett  City. 

St.  John's  Society. 

St.  Joseph's  Society. 

Fourth  Division. 

Maj.  Frank  J.  King  and  Staff. 
Fifth  Regiment  Band,  M.  V.  M. 

Odd  Fellows. 

Second  Regiment  Band,  C.  N.  G. 
Central  Labor  Union. 


OFFICIAL  PROGRAM.  149 

Fifth  Division. 

Marshal  Frank  T.  Maples  and  Staff. 

Floats. 
School  Children. 

Sixth  Division. 

Marshal  Joseph  D.  Aiken  and  Staff. 

Floats. 
Industrial,  Society,  Merchants  and  Trades. 

After  the  parade  passes  the  President  he  will  deliver  an 
address  from  the  reviewing  stand,  and  will  then  proceed 
to  Buckingham  Memorial,  where  a  public  reception  will  be 
held  until  6  o'clock. 

At  5.30  p.  m.,  will  occur  the  second  flight  of  the  airship. 

At  7  p.  m. — There  will  be  band  concerts  as  follows: 
On  Union  square,  by  Fifth  Regiment  band,  M.  V.  M. ;  at 
Greeneville,  by  the  Governor's  Foot  Guard  band ;  at  West 
Side,  by  Hatch's  First  Regiment  band,  C.  N.  G. ;  at  Norwich 
town,  by  Tubbs's  Military  band.  The  concert  on  Union 
square  will  extend  until  8.30  o'clock ;  the  others  from  7  to  8. 

At  8.30  p.  m. — Grand  display  of  fireworks  on  Rogers's 
Hill,  above  the  bank  of  the  Shetucket  river  directly  opposite 
the  station  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford 
railroad.  From  this  eminence  the  display  can  be  seen  from 
nearly  every  part  of  the  city.  This  will  be  the  grandest 
display  of  fireworks  ever  seen  in  eastern  Connecticut.  Dur- 
ing the  evening  the  streets  of  the  business  section  will  be 
illuminated  by  electrical  arches  and  devices  of  a  spectacular 
nature. 

Tuesday,  July  6,  1909. 

At  8.30  a.  m. — Demonstration  of  the  Fire  Department 
at  the  Central  station. 

9  a.  m. — Third  ascension  of  the  airship. 

10  a.  m. — Automobile  parade.    All  automobiles  will  be 
decorated  and  valuable  prizes  will  be  given.     The  line  of 


I5O  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

march  will  form  on  Broadway  with  the  first  car  at  the 
theatre.  The  autos  will  go  up  Broadway  to  Washington 
street,  up  Washington  street  to  Norwich  Town,  around 
the  Norwich  Town  Green  back  to  Chelsea  parade,  passing 
the  reviewing  stand  again,  turning  into  Williams  avenue  to 
Washington  street,  down  Washington  street  to  West  Main 
street,  over  to  the  West  Side,  up  Fairmount  street  and  Pearl 
street,  through  Ann  street  to  West  Main  street  and  back 
to  Buckingham  Memorial,  then  up  North  Main  street, 
around  the  car  barn  and  down  Central  avenue  to  Main 
street  and  there  disbanding. 

10.30  a.  m. — Dedication  of  a  memorial  fountain  at  the 
Little  Plain  by  Faith  Trumbull  chapter,  D.  A.  R. : 

"The  Star-Spangled  Banner" Tubbs's  band 

Invocation Rev.  Lewellyn  Pratt,  D.D. 

Greeting Mrs.  Elizabeth  B.  Buel, 

State  regent  Connecticut  D.  A.  R. 
"Connecticut  State  Hymn." 

Solo    Ebenezer  Learned. 

Chorus— D.  A.  R. 
Presentation  of  the  Fountain, 

Mrs.  Ellen  M.  K.  Bishop,  regent. 
Unveiling  of  the  Fountain, 

Miss  Mary  Lanman  Huntington. 
Miss  Helen  Lathrop  Perkins. 
Reception  of  the  Fountain, 

His  Honor,  Mayor  Costello  Lippitt. 

Address Rev.  Edwin  W.  Bishop,  D.D.,  Oak  Park,  111. 

Closing  Words Mrs.  Sara  T.  Kinney, 

Honorary  state  regent  Connecticut  D.  A.  R. 
"America." 

2  p.  m. — Literary  exercises  at  the  Broadway  theatre,  as 
follows : 

1.  Prelude Orchestra 

2.  Opening  address  by  the  president  of  the  day,   Hon 

Winslow  Tracy  Williams. 

3.  Reading  of  Scripture. ..  .Rev.  Samuel  H.  Howe,  D.D. 


OFFICIAL  PROGRAM. 

4.  Prayer. 

5.  Anthem — Choir  of  150  voices  conducted  by  Frederick 

W.  Lester. 

6.  Welcome  by  the  mayor,  Hon.  Costello  Lippitt. 

7.  Historical  address 

President  Harry  A.  Garfield  of  Williams  College. 

8.  Hymn Choir  and  audience. 

9.  Historical  address, 

Arthur  L.  Shipman,  Esq.,  of  Hartford. 

10.  Hymn Choir  and  audience. 

11.  Historical  address Hon.  Samuel  O.  Prentice, 

Associate  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Connecticut. 

12.  Original  hymn  by  Margaret  W.  Fuller, 

Choir  and  audience. 

13.  Reading  of  "The  Inland  City"  (Edmund  C.  Stedman), 

Rev.  Lewellyn  Pratt,  D.D. 

14.  Singing — "America." 

At  4  p.  m. — Game  of  baseball  between  two  state  league 
teams. 

5  p.  m. — Organ  recital  by  Mr.  R.  Huntington  Woodman 
at  Broadway  Congregational  church. 

5.30  p.  m. — Last  ascension  of  the  airship. 

7.30  p.  m. — Concert  by  Tubbs's  Military  band,  near  the 
harbor. 

8  p.  m. — Water  carnival  and  illuminated  display  in  the 
harbor  under  the  management  of  the  Chelsea  Boat  club. 
Grand  electrical  display  on  business  blocks  and  thorough- 
fares. 


The  headquarters  of  the  celebration  will  be  on  the 
main  floor  of  the  Buckingham  Memorial,  which  is  adjacent 
to  the  station  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford 
railroad,  where  an  information  bureau,  writing  facilities, 
a  register  and  the  newspapers  of  the  day  can  be  found. 

It  is  expected  that  all  the  vestries  of  the  several 
churches  will  be  open  for  rest  and  comfort  stations  for 
women  and  children. 


152  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

The  loan  exhibition,  under  the  management  of  Faith 
Trumbull  chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  will  be  open  at  the  Converse 
Art  gallery  July  3  to  7,  inclusive,  at  the  following  hours : 

Saturday,  July  3,  from  2  to  6  p.  m. 

Monday,  July  5,  from  10  a.  m.  to  2  p.  m. 

Tuesday,  July  6,  from  2  to  6  p.  m  . 

Wednesday,  July  7,  from  10  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m. 

Headquarters  for  the  representatives  of  the  press  and 
newspaper  correspondents  will  be  furnished  on  the  second 
floor  of  the  banking  house  of  the  Thames  National  bank, 
where  all  the  necessary  facilities  will  be  provided. 


THE  PARADE. 

(From  the  Norwich  Bulletin.) 

Winding  its  way  through  solid  banks  of  humanity  like 
a  living  river  the  great  parade  of  Monday  was  unanimously 
acclaimed  the  finest  spectacle  of  its  kind  ever  seen  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  About  4,000  people  were  in  line. 

As  a  patriotic  demonstration  and  a  tribute  marking  the 
25oth  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  Norwich  it  will  long  be 
remembered  and  talked  of  as  one  of  the  greatest  features  of 
the  big  celebration. 

A  continuous  round  of  applause  greeted  every  organiza- 
tion in  every  division  all  along  the  line  of  march  and  at 
times  burst  into  a  perfect  ovation,  when  a  sight  of  President 
Taft  or  some  particular  body  of  the  paraders  incited  addi- 
tional enthusiasm.  The  greetings  were  spontaneous  and 
enthusiastic,  and  this  was  especially  true  of  the  great  recep- 
tion accorded  to  the  organizations  in  the  military  division. 
The  touch  of  pageantry  given  the  scene  by  the  brilliant 
uniforms  of  the  Putnam  Phalanx  and  the  Foot  Guard 
caught  the  eye  and  fancy  of  the  watching  thousands  and 
recalled  to  many  minds  the  stirring  historical  events  of 
colonial  days  when  such  uniforms  were  more  familiar  on 
the  streets  of  this  city  than  they  are  to-day.  But  as  the 
more  strikingly  uniformed  troops  passed  on  with  their 
glittering  arms  and  silver  trappings,  to  give  place  to  the 


THE  PARADE.  153 

thousands  of  civilians  marching  as  members  of  civic  frater- 
nities, there  was  no  abatement  in  the  interest  with 
which  the  crowds  were  held  and  not  until  the  last 
float  in  the  rear  division  had  passed  on  did  they  begin 
to  press  forward  and  onward  in  the  trail  of  the  paraders, 
seeking  one  more  look  at  some  particularly  pleasing  feature 
of  the  parade. 

Promptness  and  efficiency  marked  the  management  and 
formation  of  the  various  divisions,  and  at  the  appointed 
time  of  two  o'clock  the  head  of  the  parade  swung  into 
Broadway.  There  had  been  no  hitch  in  getting  the  various 
divisions  assembled  at  the  appointed  places  and  the  taking 
up  of  the  line  of  march  was  carried  out  with  commendable 
promptness  and  despatch. 

First  Division. 

In  the  lead  were  Sergeant  Twomey  and  Policemen 
Ebberts  and  Doty,  mounted.  Then  followed  Chief  Marshal 
Colonel  Charles  W.  Gale  and  staff,  mounted,  his  staff  being 
composed  of  Z.  R.  Robbins,  John  J.  Manwaring,  Rutherford 
C.  Plaut,  Robert  Briggs,  J.  Harry  Shannon,  Herbert  M. 
George,  Robert  W.  Perkins,  Charles  H.  Haskell,  Charles  P. 
Johnson,  Dr.  James  J.  Donohue,  Rufus  Burnham,  Major 
F.  A.  Fox. 

The  platoon  of  police  composed  of  eight  men  was  under 
command  of  Capt.  George  Linton  and  they  were  as  follows : 
Officers  Thomas  Brock,  Allan  Mathews,  John  Bray, 
Timothy  J.  Driscoll,  Henry  Fenton,  Charles  Smith,  Bernard 
B.  Morrow,  Jacob  Vetter. 

Lieut.  Colonel  Henry  S.  Dorsey  and  staff,  composed  of 
Capt.  Percy  H.  Morgan,  C.  N.  G.,  New  London;  Capt.  A.  P. 
Woodward,  C.  N.  G.,  Danielson;  Lieut.  Duncan,  U.  S.  A., 
Fort  Terry ;  Lieut.  Ernest  R.  Barrows,  C.  N.  G.,  New  Lon- 
don, mounted. 

Tubbs's  band  with  thirty  pieces  in  charge  of  Conductor 
Charles  W.  Tubbs  was  the  first  of  the  organizations  and 
gave  fine  music. 


154  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Midshipmen  Made  a  Hit. 

The  first  burst  of  applause  was  inspired  by  the  body 
of  half  a  thousand  midshipmen,  in  charge  of  Lieut.  Com- 
mander D.  E.  Desmukes,  and  commanded  by  cadet  officers. 

The  future  naval  officers  immediately  caught  the  crowd 
with  their  fine  appearance  and  easy  marching  stride.  They 
were  clad  in  regulation  dark  blue  uniforms,  moulded  to 
finely  developed  forms,  and  wore  white  canvas  caps  and 
leggins.  The  privilege  of  parading  in  Norwich  especially 
appealed  to  them,  as  it  is  seldom  that  they  have  ever  been 
permitted  to  take  part  in  a  municipal  celebration.  There 
were  ten  companies  of  the  middies,  a  total  of  580  men. 
They  were  off  the  Olympia,  Chicago,  Tonopah  and  Hart- 
ford, now  in  New  London  harbor  and  were  commanded  by 
Brigadier  Commander  Burne,  Brigade  Adjutant  Lang- 
worthy  and  Chief  Petty  Officer  Hosford. 

All  along  the  route  they  were  admired  and  cheered, 
and  not  without  good  cause,  for  they  made  a  splendid  show- 
ing. 

On  their  return  to  Union  Square  they  attracted  much 
attention,  as  they  rounded  Broadway  corner  with  their 
fancy  turn  but  as  true  as  if  by  machinery.  At  Union  Square 
they  gave  an  exhibition  drill  and  won  much  applause,  clos- 
ing with  their  cheer  and  three  cheers  for  Norwich. 

Coast  Artillery. 

Next  in  line  were  three  companies  of  Coast  Artillery 
regulars,  the  I32d,  43d,  and  I2th,  of  the  New  London  Artil- 
lery district,  Major  Ellis  commanding,  and  following  them 
six  companies  of  the  Coast  Artillery  corps:  loth,  Captain 
Connor,  2d,  Captain  Rogers;  ist,  Captain  Paul  of  New  Lon- 
don ;  3d,  Captain  Hagberg ;  5th,  Captain  Tarbox  of  Norwich, 
and  I3th,  Captain  Armington,  of  Danbury.  The  Eleventh 
band,  V.  S.  C.  A.  C,  was  escort  for  this  section  of  the 
military  division,  and  all  along  Broadway  they  were  honored 
as  the  escort  of  President  Taft  and  party. 


u 


THE  PARADE.  155 

In  the  first  carriage  were  President  Taft,  Winslow  T. 
Williams,  president  of  the  General  Committee,  Captain 
Archibald  Butt,  and  a  secret  service  man. 


Foot  Guard  and  Phalanx. 

Of  all  the  troops  the  Governor's  Foot  Guards  and  their 
bands  and  the  Putnam  Phalanx  and  its  drum  corps  made 
the  big  hits  of  the  day.  The  Second  company  of  New 
Haven  had  the  right  of  the  line  in  this  section.  There  were 
over  loo  men  in  this  company  and  their  bearskin  head- 
pieces, scarlet,  silver  trimmed  and  epauleted  coats,  cream 
colored,  tight-fitting  pants,  and  dark  leggins,  made  them 
a  center  of  attraction  and  recipients  of  ovations  from  the 
start  to  the  finish  of  the  parade.  This  was  also  true  of  the 
First  company  of  Hartford,  immediately  preceding  the 
second  carriage  in  which  were  Governor  Weeks,  Edwin  A. 
Tracy,  chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee,  and  Adjutant 
General  Cole. 

In  the  carriages  following  were  the  members  of  the  Gov- 
ernor's staff  as  follows:  Maj.  Archibald  E.  Rice,  Waterbury ; 
Maj.  Louis  M.  Ullman,  New  Haven;  Lieut.  Com.  Frederic 
A.  Bartlett,  Bridgeport ;  Adjt.  Gen.  Col.  William  E.  F.  Lan- 
ders, Meriden ;  Asst.  Quartermaster  Gen.  Col.  Michael  J. 
Wise,  Hartford ;  Quartermaster  Gen.  Col.  Robert  O.  Eaton, 
Montowese ;  Surgeon  Gen.  Col.  Frederick  F.  Graves,  Water- 
bury  ;  Commissary  Gen.  Col.  Andrew  N.  Shepard,  Portland ; 
Paymaster  Gen.  Col.  Elmer  H.  Havens,  Bridgeport. 

Following  in  carriages  were:  First  Selectman  Lathrop 
and  Selectmen  Francis  E.  Beckwith  and  Albert  W.  Lilli- 
bridge,  and  Town  Clerk  Charles  S.  Holbrook,  Mayor 
Costello  Lippitt,  Aldermen  Frank  A.  Robinson,  Lyman  W. 
Whiting  and  Grosvenor  Ely,  and  Councilmen  C.  Leslie 
Hopkins,  Louis  H.  Geer,  Edgar  B.  Worthington,  and 
Joseph  H.  Gilbert,  Walter  F.  Lester,  John  Heath,  Hugh 
Blackledge,  Walter  H.  Woodworth,  Tax  Collector  Thomas 
A.  Robinson,  City  Treasurer  Ira  L.  Peck,  and  Street  Com- 
missioner George  E.  Fellows. 


156  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

In  Broadway  the  parade  halted  at  Williams  avenue  and 
the  companies  gave  way  to  allow  the  President,  the 
Governor,  with  his  staff,  and  the  town  and  city  officials  to 
proceed  to  the  stand. 

Putnam  Phalanx. 

Those  veterans  of  many  marches  and  many  such  occa- 
sions as  that  of  Monday,  the  famous  Putnam  Phalanx  of 
Hartford,  were  never  more  appreciated  than  they  were  in 
Norwich.  There  were  thousands  among  the  throngs  that 
bordered  the  line  of  march  who  saw  them  for  the  first  time, 
though  knowing  them  well  by  reputation. 

These  were  quickly  recognized  by  their  blue  continental 
uniforms  with  wide  buff  facings  and  their  plumed  chapeaux, 
worn  with  distinction.  Their  tan-topped  boots  seemed  to 
drag  a  little  toward  the  latter  end  of  the  afternoon,  but  they 
finished  the  march  like  good  soldiers.  Everywhere  they 
were  given  great  applause. 

Boys  of  '61. 

Members  of  Sedgwick  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  made  the  first 
division  complete  and  the  float  containing  a  score  or  more 
of  the  boys  of  '61  stirred  up  patriotism  at  every  yard  of  the 
parade.  The  gun  and  carriage  presented  to  the  state  by 
Governor  Buckingham  and  which  has  a  history  of  service, 
of  capture  by  the  confederates  and  recapture  by  the  union 
forces,  was  also  included  in  the  G.  A.  R.  section. 

Second  Division. 

Behind  Major  William  A.  Wells  and  staff  riding  at  the 
head  of  the  second  division  was  the  Newark  Letter  Carriers' 
band,  acting  as  escort  for  Postmaster  Caruthers  and  his 
guests  and  the  government  employes  of  the  city. 

The  last  of  the  Mohegans,  once  proud  tribe,  repre- 
sented in  the  parade  by  a  half-dozen  fantastically  painted 
and  garbed  braves,  on  foot,  and  a  few  women  in  carriages, 
was  a  suggestive  feature  linking  the  long  gone  past  to  the 
present. 


THE   PARADE.  157 

Then  came  the  members  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  some  uniformed  and  carrying  axes,  making  a  good 
showing. 

Next  came  the  members  of  the  O.  B.  A.  society,  and 
next  in  order  the  Joseph  Garibaldi  society,  wearing  scarlet 
blouses  with  bright  green  trimmings  on  the  sleeves  and  also 
on  the  caps. 

The  Putnam  City  band  was  escort  for  the  United  Ger- 
man societies,  distinguished  by  their  baldrics  tinted  in  the 
colors  of  the  Fatherland.  The  St.  Jean  Baptiste  society 
of  Taftville  made  a  good  showing  and  attracted  attention 
by  a  pretty  float  with  a  lamb  and  a  child  clad  in  sheepskin, 
representing  the  boyhood  of  St.  John. 

The  Worcester  Cadet  band  was  at  the  head  of  the 
Swedish  societies.  One  company  in  this  group  were  nattily 
clad  in  white  duck  with  yellow  and  white  sashes.  With 
them  also  was  one  of  the  most  striking  floats  of  the  parade, 
a  Viking  ship,  in  which  were  several  persons  representing 
those  great  men  of  the  deep. 

Third  Division. 

At  the  head  of  the  third  division  were  Col.  T.  P. 
Murphy  and  his  staff.  At  the  head  of  the  line  were  the  Red 
Men,  mounted,  and  with  as  much  war  paint  and  regalia  as 
any  chief  need  have.  They  were  as  full  of  war-whoops  as 
the  street  cars  were  of  passengers.  They  had  it  on  the  real 
Indians — the  last  of  the  Mohegans — as  far  as  capacity  to 
emit  shrill  and  war-like  shrieks  went,  and  they  apparently 
were  having  as  much  amusement  as  they  furnished  the 
spectators. 

Behind  them  was  Wheeler's  band  of  Willimantic  and 
the  Second  Division,  A.  O.  H.  They  wore  no  coats,  but 
white  shirtwaists,  black  pants  and  shoes,  green  neckties, 
sailor  hats  and  carried  Jap  parasols.  They  received  much 
applause. 

An  Irish  jaunting  car,  Christopher  Barry,  driver,  with 
some  pretty  colleens  for  passengers,  received  applause  at 


158  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

every  point  in  the  line  of  march.  The  green  uniformed 
Hibernian  Rifles  of  New  Britain  were  also  well  received. 

Division  No.  I,  A.  O.  H.,  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
were  next  in  line  and  with  the  St.  Mary's  T.  A.  B.  society 
presented  an  interesting  section  of  fraternal  organizations. 

Few  of  the  marching  bodies  were  greater  favorites  than 
the  khaki-clad  Tierney  cadets,  and  many  complimented  the 
boys  on  their  excellent  showing. 

There  was  another  touch  of  color  at  the  part  of  the 
parade  where  the  Pulaski  band,  St.  George's  society  and  the 
Sokel  Polski  were  assigned,  completing  the  third  division. 
The  uniforms,  outside  of  the  military  division,  were  the 
most  resplendent  of  any  in  the  parade,  and  were  worn  with 
pretty  effect.  The  Slater  band  of  Jewett  City  were  at  the 
head  of  the  St.  John's  society  and  St.  Joseph's  society. 


Fourth  Division. 

In  the  fourth  division,  Major  Frank  J.  King  and  staff, 
were  the  members  of  the  Odd  Fellows'  society,  with  the 
Massachusetts  Fifth  Infantry  band  as  escort.  Their  ap- 
pearance called  forth  many  complimentary  remarks.  The 
Second  Regiment  band  was  at  the  head  of  the  large  repre- 
sentation from  the  Central  Labor  union. 


Fifth  Division. 
Floats. — The  Schools. 

Every  float  in  the  fifth  division,  representative  of  the 
schools,  got  its  share  of  applause,  and  was  a  cleverly  con- 
ceived and  prettily  executed  idea. 

Thought  and  patience  were  required  to  work  them 
out,  but  there  was  none  which  did  not  add  to  the  attractive- 
ness of  the  parade.  The  floats  and  a  description  follow: 


East  Side  Public  School  Float. 


St.  Patrick's  Parochial  School  Float. 


THE   PARADE.  159 

Norwich  Free  Academy — "Colonial  Home  Life."  Com- 
plete colonial  costuming,  showing  the  family,  with  fireplace 
and  big  pot  in  which  dinner  is  cooking,  the  small  boy,  Hum- 
phrey Almy,  turning  the  spit;  grandmother,  Miss  Faye 
Newland,  knitting;  mother,  Miss  Lois  Perkins,  spinning; 
father,  William  E.  Perry,  cleaning  gun;  son,  Benedict  C. 
Pullen,  whittling;  daughter,  Miss  Henrietta  Gardner,  sew- 
ing; little  girl,  Miss  Dorothy  Jones,  rocking  the  cradle. 

Broadway  school — "Revolutionary  Soldiers."  Depict- 
ing Gen.  George  Washington  in  conference  with  Gov.  Jona- 
than Trumbull  on  the  lawn  at  the  home  of  Jedediah  Hunt- 
ington  at  Norwich  Town,  all  in  complete  costume.  George 
Washington,  Theodore  Haviland;  Jonathan  Trumbull, 
Edwin  Sherman ;  Jedediah  Huntington,  Channing  Hunt- 
ington ;  Washington's  body  guard,  Ernest  Smith,  Fitch 
Jewett,  Carl  Kinney,  Harold  Robinson,  Ronald  Kimball; 
colonial  soldiers,  Frederic  Crowell,  Francis  Forsberg, 
Everett  Peckham,  James  Stanley,  Avery  Gallup. 

St.  Patrick's  school. — This  was  one  of  the  most  attrac- 
tive floats  in  the  procession.  It  represented  a  modern 
battleship,  and  the  curtain  covering  the  body  of  the  vehicle 
bore  the  words,  "Our  Army  and  Navy  Forever."  The  ship 
was  designed  by  J.  J.  O'Donovan  and  was  made  as  realistic 
as  possible.  On  the  bow  was  a  cross,  near  which  stood 
three  little  girls  dressed  in  white  to  represent  Religion, 
and  at  the  stern  was  a  pretty  little  miss  representing  the 
Goddess  of  Liberty,  arrayed  by  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  who 
attended  to  the  decoration  of  the  battleship.  On  deck 
were  a  number  of  boys  in  full  uniform,  representing  the 
commissioned  and  petty  officers,  the  sailors  and  marines. 
The  float  was  a  credit  to  St.  Patrick's  parochial  school 
and  was  appreciated  by  the  people  of  Norwich. 

West  Chelsea  school  district — "Uncas  Signing  the 
Deed"  was  pictured  here,  the  float  being  trimmed  with 
evergreen,  roses  and  the  British  flag  and  was  drawn  by  four 
horses.  The  table  was  a  trunk  of  a  tree  and  there  was  a 


l6o  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

wigwam  and  a  dog.  The  characters  were:  Major  Mason, 
Leroy  Swan;  Rev.  Mr.  Fitch,  Edgar  Welden;  Mr.  Tracy, 
Tyler  Stanton;  women,  Elizabeth  Evans,  Rosa  Beckley; 
Uncas,  Bennie  Weinstein;  his  sons,  Clarence  Whitaker, 
James  Mulcahy;  braves,  Gedaliah  Segol,  Felix  Debarros, 
Walter  Newbury;  Indian  boy,  Frank  Lamb;  Indian  women, 
Fanny  Schulman,  and  Jennie  Swartzburg. 

Falls  school — "Indian  Life."  A  white  birch  tepee  in 
a  grove  of  white  birch,  cedar  and  elderberry,  with  twenty 
school  children  in  Indian  costume,  chiefs,  braves,  and 
squaws,  the  girls  doing  beadwork,  the  boys  making  snow 
shoes,  and  a  squaw  grinding  corn  with  an  old  fashioned 
Indian  mortar  and  pestle.  Red  plumes  on  the  four  horses. 

Bridge  district  school — "The  Rose  of  New  England." 
A  beautiful  bower  of  pink  roses  within  which  on  seats  in 
pyramid  arrangement  was  a  group  of  thirty  boys  and  girls, 
as  "The  Rosebuds,"  and  at  the  apex  "The  Rose  Queen," 
Lucy  Blackburn.  Plumes  and  rosettes  on  the  harness  of  the 
four  gray  horses. 

Town  street  school — This  float  represented  the  old 
liberty  pole  and  tent  which  used  to  stand  on  Norwich  Town 
Green,  with  four  boys  aboard  in  costume  of  the  times. 
They  were  Walter  Crabtree,  John  Hughes,  Clifford 
Lathrop,  Arthur  Mullen.  The  float  was  decorated  with 
bunting  and  flags. 

Greeneville  grammar  school  had  a  reproduction  of  "The 
Little  Old  Red  School  House  on  the  Hill,"  the  place  where 
our  forefathers  gained  their  scanty  store  of  knowledge  with 
patient  toil,  the  time  when  men  rose  in  spite  of  their  lack 
of  learning,  in  contrast  with  the  present,  when  (it  is  said) 
men  rise  despite  their  education.  A  red  body  inclosing 
twenty-five  industrious  pupils,  members  of  the  graduating 
class,  seated  at  old  time  desk  and  bench  on  three  sides,  the 
teacher  at  front;  the  girls  dressed  in  staid  colonial  style, 
black  dress,  white  kerchief  and  cuffs,  the  boys  in  dark 
trousers,  dark  blouses,  white  collars  and  cuffs.  Above 


THE    PARADE  l6l 

was  the  hipped  roof,  in  red,  white  and  blue,  with  the 
typical  red  chimney  and  the  flag.  It  was  the  product  of 
the  combined  efforts  of  Principal  Clifton  H.  Hobson  and 
Louis  O.  Potter. 

The  First  Congregational  church  of  Norwich  Town 
was  represented  by  an  historical  float,  "The  First  Meet- 
ing House  on  the  Rocks,"  the  original  having  been  built 
the  year  after  the  founding  of  the  town.  The  old  white 
meeting  house,  with  peaked  roof  and  steeple,  occupied  the 
center  of  the  float.  It  was  Sunday  and  the  Puritans  were 
entering  their  newly  built  church,  while  in  the  rear  hostile 
Indians  were  skulking.  This  tableau  was  carried  out 
very  effectively  and  reflected  credit  upon  Owen  S.  Smith 
and  Aron  A.  Dickey,  the  committee  in  charge.  This  re- 
ceived much  applause  along  the  line  of  march  especially  on 
Washington  street. 


Sixth  Division. 
Floats,  Industrial,  Society,  Merchants,  and  Trades. 

Yantic  Woolen  Co. — This  float  was  planned  to  show  the 
process  of  manufacturing  carded  woolen  goods,  picturing 
it  from  the  farm  to  the  needle.  There  were  live  sheep  and 
wool  in  the  differing  forms  up  to  the  finished  goods.  Four 
horses  drew  the  float,  two  men  in  jumpers  leading  the 
horses,  while  on  the  float  were  two  shepherds  under  the 
canopy.  There  was  a  display  of  flags  and  bunting,  the 
whole  making  a  pretty  picture. 

The  Shetucket  Cotton  Co. — This  float  was  an  A-shaped 
structure  displaying  a  piece  of  every  grade  and  kind  of 
cloth  made  at  their  factory  in  Greeneville.  The  many 
variegated  colors  made  up  a  handsome  exhibit,  which  was 
designed  by  Supt.  W.  I.  Woodward. 

The  United  States  Finishing  Co.  had  one  of  the  most 
attractive  of  the  industrial  floats  in  line.  On  a  rectangular 
frame  with  an  arched  roof  were  displayed  in  six  sections, 


1 62  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

two  on  each  side  and  one  on  each  end,  the  productions  of 
this  big  plant,  including  mercerized  sateens  and  pongees, 
printed  lawns,  printed  taffetas  and  serpentine  crepes.  On 
top  of  the  roof  was  the  name  of  the  corporation  in  letters 
of  white  on  a  blue  ground,  below  which  was  indicated  the 
branches  constituting  the  company.  The  arched  roof  was 
covered  with  stripes  of  red,  white  and  blue,  carrying  out 
the  patriotic  color  scheme.  The  float  was  the  design  of 
Frank  H.  Lester. 

The  Norwich  Belt  Mfg.  Co.  displayed  as  the  products  of 
their  plant  different  colors  of  leather,  belting  and  lace 
leather  on  a  square  float,  ten  feet  long  by  eight  wide,  hand- 
somely decorated  with  bunting,  and  drawn  by  four  horses. 
Lengthwise  of  the  float  was  the  name  of  the  company.  In 
the  center  was  a  large  three-ply  belt,  52  inches  wide,  no 
feet  long  which  with  two  smaller  ones,  each  34  inches  wide 
and  65  feet  long,  required  a  total  of  249  steer  hides.  The 
entire  process  took  place  at  the  company's  big  tannery  in 
Greeneville. 

The  Clinton  Woolen  Mill's  float  illustrated  the  produc- 
tions of  their  plant.  On  a  platform  8x  15  feet,was  a  four- 
foot  fence  of  posts  of  spools  roving  off  the  cards.  Be- 
tween these  posts  were  bobbins  and  yarn,  above  the  fence 
was  a  four-foot  lattice  work,  made  of  twisted  strings  of 
billiard  cloth.  In  the  corners  were  looped  up  bobbins  of 
yarn.  In  the  center  stood  a  ten-foot  pole,  supporting  a 
canopy  of  twisted  billiard  cloth.  The  front,  red,  white  and 
blue  broadcloth,  was  draped.  A  basket  of  pure  white  wool 
and  a  beam  of  warped  yarn  ready  for  the  loom  also  were 
shown.  The  horses  wore  broadcloth  blankets,  bearing  the 
name  of  the  company  in  letters  of  gold  felt.  The  float  was 
designed  by  L.  H.  Saxton,  assisted  by  Mrs.  Saxton. 

Hopkins  &  Allen  Arms  Co. — Representing  the  firearms 
industry  this  company  had  an  attractive  float.  In  the  center 
of  a  base  14x8  feet  was  a  pyramid,  surmounting  which  was 
a  flag  of  each  country,  representing  the  export  trade.  At 
each  corner  was  a  staff  with  banners  with  the  name  of  the 


THE   PARADE.  163 

company,  and  on  the  skirt  "Hopkins  &  Allen  arms  circle  the 
globe."  At  the  corners  there  were  stacks  of  rifles  and  guns, 
and  on  top  of  each  staff  was  a  revolver.  Flowers  and  colors 
on  the  pyramid  with  other  floral  decorations  made  a  pretty 
effect.  White  flowers  in  a  green  background  formed  the 
name  of  the  company  on  the  pyramid. 

The  McCrum-Howell  Co.'s  float  was  drawn  by  six 
horses,  containing  a  display  of  heaters  and  bathtubs,  refrig- 
erators of  several  sizes,  displaying  the  products  of  their 
local  industry.  The  float  attracted  much  attention.  On 
their  second  float  was  a  display  of  radiators  of  several  sizes, 
showing  the  work  put  out  by  the  concern.  Their  floats  con- 
tained their  business  cards  and  made  a  pleasing  exhibit. 

Geduldig,  the  florist,  had  a  float  completely  covered 
with  products  of  the  greenhouse,  garden  and  forest,  all  com- 
bining to  make  a  beautiful  display.  This  proved  a  feature 
of  the  parade. 

Totoket  Mills  Co. — Drawn  by  four  horses  and  gaily 
trimmed  with  red,  white  and  blue.  This  float  contained 
two  looms  which  were  in  operation.  One  was  250  years 
old  and  was  brought  here  from  Germany,  while  the  other 
was  a  modern  one.  Several  women  from  the  mill  were 
on  the  float  and  the  goods  manufactured  were  displayed. 

The  Ponemah  Mills  Co. — Their  float  represented  a 
scene  on  a  cotton  plantation,  'way  down  south  in  Dixie, 
with  the  cotton  plants  in  bloom,  watermelons  in  the  fore- 
ground and  happy  negro  cotton  pickers  with  banjo  and  song 
in  the  field  and  a  negro  driver.  It  was  drawn  by  six  horses, 
caparisoned  in  white  and  red,  while  the  skirt  of  the  float 
and  banners  at  the  corners  were  of  the  same  colors.  It  was 
made  realistic  and  a  feature  of  the  parade,  and  at  the  review- 
ing stand  the  singers  stopped  and  entertained  the  President 
and  crowd  with  songs. 

The  Ulmer  Leather  Co. — A  float  drawn  by  three  yoke 
of  prize  steers  contained  the  forms  of  five  large  belts,  the 
center  one,  the  largest,  representing  a  four-ply  waterproof 


164  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

cemented  leather  belt,  180  feet  long,  108  inches  wide,  6,480 
pounds,  requiring  540  steer  hides ;  capable  of  transmitting 
3,500  horsepower,  with  a  sign,  "The  steers  will  go  faster 
when  Ulmer  makes  them  into  machinery  belting."  In  each 
corner  was  a  form  representing  a  two-ply  leather  belt  91 
feet  long,  48  inches  wide,  weighing  2,912  pounds,  and  re- 
quiring 184  steer  hides.  There  were  plumes  and  flags,  with 
a  red,  white  and  blue  shield  on  each  belt,  with  streamers 
leading  from  the  nine-foot  belt  to  each  four-foot  one.  There 
were  also  cables  of  red,  white  and  blue,  with  small  flags  and 
plumes. 

Uncas  Specialty  Co. — Auto  parts  such  as  timers,  dis- 
tributors, siren  horns  and  magnetos,  were  shown  on  this 
float  in  two  pyramids.  There  was  a  canopy  top,  the  posts 
being  wound  with  colors. 

Reliance  Worsted  Co. — This  float  was  16  x  18  feet,  with 
the  platform  and  posts  decorated  with  red,  white  and  blue 
bunting,  and  in  the  center  of  the  top  an  American  flag.  Two 
bales  of  Australian  wool  were  shown,  bright  colored 
worsted  yarn  on  spools  and  in  skeins,  and  about  the  edge 
was  worsted  cloth  in  various  processes  of  manufacture. 
There  were  two  cases  of  goods,  one  marked  San  Francisco 
and  the  other  Portland,  Me. 

Bard  Union  Co. — Representing  Aluminum  bronze  on 
a  four  horse  float  was  a  huge  union,  such  as  is  made  by 
the  company,  being  eight  feet  high  and  seven  feet  wide, 
with  the  word  Bard  on  one  side  and  Patent  on  the  other. 
Business  cards  of  the  company  were  on  each  side  of  the 
float,  which  was  prettily  decorated  with  red,  white  and 
blue,  the  wheels  being  done  in  colors,  with  gold  hubs. 

J.  T.  Young  Boiler  Co. — This  handsome  float,  decorated 
in  colors,  had  a  single  boiler  on  a  pedestal,  with  streamers 
running  to  it  from  posts  at  each  corner.  It  made  an  attrac- 
tive display  of  the  company's  product. 

Stoddard,  Gilbert  &  Co. — Four-horse  float  in  blue  and 
white,  the  Hermitage  brand  of  canned  goods  being  dis- 


THE   PARADE.  165 

played  on   eighteen  tiers  of  shelves  arranged  tank-shape. 
The  horses  had  fancy  blankets  and  plumes. 

Northwestern  Consolidated  Milling  Co. — The  trade- 
mark of  Cresota  flour  was  impersonated  by  George  Harris, 
dressed  in  dark  short  trousers  and  cutting  a  huge  loaf  of 
bread.  He  was  seated  in  front  of  a  bag,  back  of  which  stood 
a  barrel  of  the  flour.  It  was  a  tandem  team,  done  prettily 
in  yellow  and  white. 

The  J.  B.  Martin  Co. — Manufacturers  of  silk  velvets  had 
an  attractive  float  exhibiting  a  variety  of  the  kinds  and 
colors  of  their  finished  products,  displayed  on  an  A-shaped 
structure. 

E.  Raphael  &  Son. — A  two-horse  float,  on  each  side  of 
which  was  a  likeness  of  Ellis  Raphael,  with  the  signs,  "The 
Oldest  Cigarmaker  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,"  "The 
Veteran  of  1859  and  Here  To-Day,"  on  the  sides  and  rear. 
There  were  flag  decorations  showing  part  of  a  cigar  shop 
and  two  men  were  giving  away  cigars. 

Troy  Steam  Laundry. — A  costly  and  attractive  float 
drawn  by  four  horses,  with  a  large  revolving  dome,  covered 
with  shirts.  There  were  twelve  people  on  the  float  operat- 
ing the  collar  and  cuff  machines  and  ironing  table.  The 
machines  were  operated  by  a  gasoline  engine.  This  was 
decorated  with  colors  and  was  one  of  the  features  of  the 
parade. 

Norwich  Nickel  &  Brass  Co. — Displayed  on  a  four- 
horse  float  with  two  tiers  of  shelves  were  the  products  of 
the  factory,  fastened  on  a  background  of  red  plush.  There 
were  sponge  shelves,  cast  bases  for  fixtures,  tie,  card  and 
collar  stands,  umbrella  fixtures  and  mirrors  in  polished  and 
brushed  brass  and  nickel.  On  the  top,  which  had  a  brass 
railing  about  it,  were  forms  for  women's  shirt  waists,  with 
palms,  while  at  each  corner  of  the  float  were  revolving  cloak 
racks.  Business  cards  of  the  firm  were  held  in  card  racks. 
There  were  a  few  flags  and  the  name  of  the  company  was 
on  the  skirt  of  the  vehicle. 


1 66  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

C.  H.  Davis  &  Co. — Two  horses  driven  tandem,  with 
white  blankets,  drew  the  float  of  this  company,  which  had 
a  pretty  Japanese  roof  effect,  and  displayed  were  barrels  of 
pork,  sausages  and  pails  of  lard. 

Uncas  Paper  Co. — This  handsome  float  attracted  much 
attention,  having,  as  it  did,  a  canoe  on  a  sixteen-foot  float, 
with  material  about  it  representing  water.  Elevated  length- 
wise of  the  float  was  a  roll  of  newsboard  four  feet  in  diam- 
eter. At  each  corner  was  a  roll  of  paper,  the  product  of 
the  mill,  and  on  each  side  of  the  float  were  four  foot  circles, 
through  which  could  be  seen  Indians  paddling  the  canoe. 
The  rings  were  decorated  with  roses  and  foreign  flags,  rep- 
resenting export  trade,  and  at  the  front  and  back  were  large 
American  flags.  The  float  was  drawn  by  four  horses  and 
bore  the  sign,  Uncas  Paper  Division,  American  Strawboard 
Co. 

The  Falls  Mills  Co.  illustrated  their  products  on  a 
handsome  float.  The  display  was  on  two  tiers,  on  top  were 
shown  rolls  of  red,  white  and  blue  cotton  lap,  and  below 
them  cottonades,  outing  flannels,  denims  and  flannelettes. 
The  whole  made  a  pleasing  exhibit. 

Plaut-Cadden  Co. — This  was  one  of  the  neatest  floats 
and  one  that  attracted  much  praise  and  comment  along 
the  line  of  march.  It  was  drawn  by  six  coal  black  horses, 
each  equipped  with  an  elaborate  blanket  advertising  the 
Wasserman  piano.  On  the  float  were  three  pianos,  all  being 
played  at  one  time  by  three  young  Norwich  misses.  Beau- 
tiful palms  and  flowers  showed  that  a  great  deal  of  time  and 
pains  were  spent  on  it  by  their  decorator,  Adelard  Morin. 
The  float  also  displayed  the  celebrated  Victor  Talking 
machine,  which  this  firm  makes  a  specialty.  The  float  was 
in  charge  of  H.  Sears  and  E.  C.  Leavitt  of  the  firm's  staff. 

Sedgwick  Post,  No.  i,  G.  A.  R. — Thirty  members  of  the 
Post  in  uniform  seated  in  chairs  upon  a  four-horse  team  with 
low  railing  and  decorations  in  the  national  colors.  In  the 
center  a  tableau,  "The  Spirit  of  '76,"  and  an  old  army 
kettle  filled  with  lemonade. 


THE  PARADE.  167 

Haile  Club. — An  old  fashioned  stage  coach  75  years 
old,  covered  from  the  ground  up  with  paper  flowers  in  light 
blue  and  white,  the  club  colors,  the  same  on  the  harness  and 
pole,  with  banners  showing  the  club  name.  The  coach  was 
drawn  by  four  black  horses  with  four  outriders  in  costume : 
Adelard  Morin,  James  P.  Sheridan,  Everett  B.  Byles  and 
William  Bode ;  two  footmen,  Norbert  Schutz  and  Raymond 
Sherman;  a  driver  and  a  bugler,  James  Yerrington  and 
William  Young.  A  group  of  the  club  members,  mandolin 
players  and  singers,  rendering  old-fashioned  songs,  the  man- 
dolin players  inside  and  the  singers  on  the  top  of  the  coach. 
They  were  the  following:  Singers — Misses  Helen  Crowe, 
Delia  Woodmansee,  Annie  O'Brien,  Mrs.  Juliet  Beasley, 
Misses  Ruth  Beetham,  Mary  Kane  and  Bertha  Woodman- 
see  ;  mandolins — Misses  Florence  Carpenter,  Ruth  Lord, 
Sarah  Loring,  Lena  Heibel,  Mrs.  Maud  Baker,  Misses  Alice 
Stevenson  and  Mary  Hendrick. 

W.  C.  T.  U. — Float  made  in  canopy  form,  trimmed 
entirely  in  the  emblematic  white,  drawn  by  four  horses. 
Two  girls  and  two  boys  of  the  L.  T.  L.  at  each  corner,  carry- 
ing flags,  with  State  President  Mrs.  C.  B.  Buell  of  Hartford, 
County  President  Mrs.  H.  A.  Randall  of  Groton  and  officers 
of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  and  Y.  W.  C.  T.  U.  riding  on  the  float. 
The  initials  of  the  organization  shown  in  gold  on  the  side. 

Open  House. — A  three-horse  hitch,  two  bays  and  a 
black,  before  a  three-seater  with  a  top,  the  whole  trimmed 
with  red,  white  and  blue  paper  fringing,  with  plumes  on 
the  horses  and  at  the  four  corners  of  the  top.  Club  name 
shown  on  a  sign  on  the  top,  and  the  members  riding  in  the 
team  and  wearing  white  duck  trousers,  dark  coats  and  straw 
hats  were  Ellsworth  Williams,  Ernest  E.  Partridge,  Clarence 
Simpson,  Clarence  B.  Messinger  and  Joseph  H.  Leveen. 

New  England  Order  of  Protection. — Representing  Nor- 
wich lodge,  No.  248,  and  Thames,  No.  326,  a  pretty  lattice 
float  trimmed  with  wistaria  and  green  enclosing  the  six- 
pointed  star  of  the  order,  and  drawn  by  two  gray  and  two 
bay  horses.  Four  children  riding  on  the  float — Gladys  and 


1 68  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Lucretia  McCaffrey  of  Boston,  Anna  May  and  Marguerite 
Foley,  Milford  and  Russel  Pitkin  Newbury. 

Chelsea  Boat  Club. — Float  decorated  in  laurel  and 
crimson  rambler  roses  and  containing  a  canoe  in  which 
were  two  little  girls,  Irene  Wilson  and  Viola  Grover.  The 
club  janitor,  William  E.  Geary,  in  sailor  costume,  also  rode 
upon  the  float,  and  upon  the  side  were  the  floral  letters, 
"C.  B.  C. 

Knights  of  Pythias. — Representing  Wauregan  lodge, 
No.  6,  Gardner  lodge,  No.  46,  and  Clover  temple,  No.  9, 
Pythian  Sisters.  A  float  made  all  in  white  with  graceful 
bell-shaped  top,  trimmed  with  red  and  blue  and  from  which 
hung  red  bells.  On  an  elevated  seat  under  the  central  bell 
a  little  girl,  Florence  Buckley,  in  white,  wearing  a  veil  and 
gold  crown.  Twenty  Pythian  Sisters  were  seated  around 
her,  and  at  the  corners  behind  representations  of  knights 
stood  four  Knights  in  Pythian  gilt  armor  and  helmets. 
Over  the  driver  a  'Pythian"  arch  and  on  the  four  horses 
white  blankets  lettered  K.  of  P.  in  black  and  with  red,  white 
and  blue  trimming. 

Edward  Chappell  Co. — The  large  iron  dump  wagon  of 
this  concern  was  filled  with  the  various  sizes  of  coal,  show- 
ing anthracite,  bituminous  and  cannel  coal.  Six  horses, 
three  abreast,  the  leaders  being  jet  black,  drew  the  load, 
there  being  five  men  in  white,  one  driving  and  four  walking 
beside  the  team.  The  horses  had  plumes  and  the  wagon 
was  decorated  with  flags  and  had  the  company's  sign. 

Foresters. — Representing  Court  City  of  Norwich,  No. 
63 ;  Court  Sachem,  No.  94,  and  Court  Quinebaug,  No.  128. 
Drawn  by  four  gray  horses  in  white  blankets  lettered 
F.  of  A.  in  red  and  trimmed  with  blue,  a  float  bearing  an 
oil  painting  of  the  emblem  of  the  order,  a  deer's  head,  a 
gilded  eagle  above  it,  F.  of  A.  pennants  and  an  American 
flag  at  each  corner.  William  A.  Harvey,  Louis  J.  Lynch, 
Cornelius  Kennedy  and  William  Weldon  upon  tree  stump 
seats,  wearing  regalia  of  white  shirt,  blue  tie,  straw  hats, 
white  gloves  and  black  trousers.  The  driver  was  in  wood- 


LOAN  EXHIBIT.  169 

man's  costume  and  "Foresters"  was  on  drop  curtains  around 
the  wheels. 

Order  of  Vasa,  Lodge  Oscar,  No.  30. — A  viking  ship 
with  crew  of  nine  fierce  sea-wolves,  complete  in  old  Norse 
armor,  weapons  and  flags.  Blankets  of  blue  and  yellow, 
the  Swedish  national  colors,  upon  the  four  horses  and  the 
same  colors  used  around  the  float. 

St.  Anne's  Society. — Representing  "The  Spirit  of 
Liberty."  Seated  in  three  tiers,  with  the  club  president, 
Miss  Mary  Foley,  as  the  Goddess  of  Liberty,  thirteen  pretty 
young  women  in  white,  wearing  gold  crowns  and  blue 
shoulder  sashes  with  the  names  of  the  thirteen  colonies  in 
gold  lettering.  A  little  girl  in  red,  covered  with  roses, 
representing  the  Rose  of  New  England.  Palms  and 
national  colors  for  decorations.  Blue  blankets  with  "St. 
Anne's  Society"  in  gold,  on  the  four  horses. 

The  Ladies'  Auxiliary,  A.  O.  H.,  had  an  Irish  jaunting 
car  as  a  feature  and  novelty  in  the  parade.  It  was  direct 
from  the  "ould  sod,"  and  besides  the  driver  of  the  one  horse, 
carried  six  passengers,  three  on  each  side,  in  white  gowns 
and  wearing  green  sashes — fair  types  of  Irish  beauty. 

From  every  standpoint  the  parade  was  a  complete  suc- 
cess. It  was  well  managed,  got  away  in  good  time,  went 
over  the  prescribed  route  and  came  back  in  good  order.  By 
a  close  estimate  the  number  participating  was  slightly  less 
than  4,000. 

Estimates  of  the  number  viewing  the  pageant  vary 
between  50,000  and  75,000,  but  persons  familiar  with  Nor- 
wich history  unite  in  declaring  it  the  greatest  ever.  It  was 
not  marred  by  an  accident  of  a  serious  nature,  and  was  in 
every  way  the  greatest  feature  of  what  is  being  made  a 
great  celebration. 

LOAN   EXHIBIT. 

The  loan  exhibition  in  the  Converse  Art  Gallery  under 
the  auspices  of  Faith  Trumbull  chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  opened 


NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

at  2  p.  m.  on  Saturday  with  a  choice  and  varied  collection 
of  ancient  articles  connected  with  Norwich  history. 
Nothing  less  than  seventy-five  years  old  was  thought  of 
sufficient  antiquity  to  be  interesting,  and  from  this  the 
pieces  dated  backward  through  Revolutionary  and  colonial 
days  to  the  time  of  the  founders  of  Norwich.  There  were 
even  a  few  older  than  Norwich  herself,  dating  from  early 
days  in  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts  Bay  colonies. 

Those  in  Charge. 

Mrs.  Amos  A.  Browning  was  the  chairman  of  the 
committee  in  charge  of  the  exhibit,  which  was  divided  into 
twelve  classes.  The  chairmen  of  these  twelve  divisions  were : 
Furniture,  Mrs.  B.  W.  Hyde ;  manuscripts  and  books,  Miss 
Ellen  Geer;  handwork,  Miss  Lucy  Geer;  laces,  fans,  and 
jewelry,  Mrs.  W.  Tyler  Browne;  pewter  and  brass,  Mrs. 
W.  H.  Cardwell  and  Miss  Cardwell;  china,  Miss  Sarah  L. 
Tyler;  mirrors  and  clocks,  Miss  Fannie  L.  Bliss;  silver  and 
glass,  Mrs.  James  L.  Case;  pictures,  Mrs.  Will  L.  Stearns; 
wearing  apparel,  Mrs.  Nelson  D.  Robinson ;  miscellaneous 
articles,  Mrs.  William  B.  Robertson ;  Indian  relics,  Miss 
Eliza  W.  Avery.  Mrs.  Clinton  E.  Stark  had  charge  of  the 
registering  of  the  names  of  all  visitors  to  the  exhibit.  Mrs. 
William  G.  Henderson  compiled  the  valuable  catalogues  for 
the  exhibit.  Mrs.  B.  P.  Bishop,  the  regent,  was  also  a 
member  of  the  committee. 

Furniture  Display. 

Mrs.  Hyde  had  her  furniture  attractively  arranged  in 
the  south  alcove  of  the  gallery,  forming  a  room  fully  fur- 
nished with  ancient  chairs,  tables  and  other  pieces,  loaned 
by  Mrs.  W.  A.  Thompson,  Miss  Annie  E.  Waters,  Mrs. 
Noyes  D.  Lamb,  Miss  M.  J.  Palmer,  Mrs.  Amos  A.  Brown- 
ing, Mrs.  Freelove  E.  Johnson,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Paul  Hoffman, 
Mrs.  B.  W.  Hyde,  Mrs.  William  H.  Cardwell,  Mrs.  George 
Greenman,  Mrs.  George  A.  Sydleman,  Miss  Ellen  Geer, 
Mrs.  William  M.  Olcott,  Miss  Susan  Allen,  Mrs.  B.  P. 


LOAN  EXHIBIT. 

Bishop,  Mrs.  Olive  W.  Platt,  Rev.  George  A.  Bryan,  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  C.  Norton,  Miss  Lucy  Geer,  Miss  Ruth  Witter, 
Miss  Eliza  W.  Avery,  Mrs.  George  R.  Hyde,  Mrs.  Lewellyn 
P.  Smith,  Miss  Sarah  Huntington  Perkins,  Miss  Helen 
Marshall,  Mrs.  A.  W.  Dickey,  James  H.  Malony,  Mrs. 
William  B.  Young,  Mrs.  H.  H.  Osgood,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Kellogg, 
S.  Alpheus  Gilbert,  Mrs.  James  O.  Landon,  Mrs.  Charles 
Cook,  Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Forbes,  Mrs.  Charles  R.  Butts,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  George  L.  Carey,  Miss  A.  M.  Fisher,  Frank  C.  Turner, 
Winslow  T.  Williams,  Mrs.  John  C.  Boswell,  Mrs.  Harriet 
Huntington  Smith,  and  Mrs.  William  P.  Potter. 

Ancient  and  Valuable  Tables. 

A  mahogany  table  loaned  by  W.  T.  Williams  belonged 
to  Gen.  Jedediah  Huntington ;  the  Mayflower  table  came 
from  England  in  1630,  and  the  chairs  belonged  to  Pres. 
Jonathan  Edwards,  General  Knox,  Gen.  Israel  Putnam's 
family,  Dr.  Philemon  Tracy  and  Elizabeth  Lathrop.  A 
sword  carried  by  Col.  Samuel  Tyler  at  Stonington  in  1814, 
and  pair  of  pistols  of  Col.  Zabdiel  Rogers  in  the  French  and 
Revolutionary  Wars  were  loaned  by  Mrs.  Olcott. 

Books  and  Manuscripts. 

Miss  Geer  had  an  interesting  collection  of  books  and 
manuscripts  loaned  by  Mrs.  B.  W.  Hyde,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
B.  Davis,  Frank  N.  Gardner,  Mrs.  E.  F.  Burleson,  Miss 
Alice  C.  Dyer,  Mrs.  George  D.  Coit,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Leavens, 
Mrs.  George  A.  Sydleman,  Dr.  W.  S.  C.  Perkins,  Mrs. 
William  M.  Olcott,  Miss  S.  A.  Armstrong,  Mrs.  Thurston 
Barber,  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Mrs.  William  P.  Potter,  Miss 
Annie  E.  Waters,  Mrs.  Benjamin  T.  Lewis,  Henry  M.  Coit, 
Roberts  H.  Bishop,  Mrs.  B.  P.  Bishop,  Miss  Caroline  H. 
Thompson,  James  H.  Malony,  William  H.  Shields,  Mrs. 
Henry  Rogers,  Miss  L.  Angie  Stanton,  Misses  Ripley,  Miss 
Caroline  T.  Gilman,  Miss  Adelaide  L.  Beckwith,  Mrs. 
Marion  O.  Ashby,  Misses  Bliss  and  Misses  Geer. 


NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Handwork  of  All  Kinds. 

Miss  Lucy  Geer  had  handwork  of  all  kinds,exquisite 
embroideries,  bead  bags,  crewel  work,  counterpanes,  knit- 
ted goods  and  handspun  and  woven  cloth.  Those  loaning 
were:  Mrs.  Bela  P.  Learned,  Misses  Ripley,  Mrs.  Henry 
Peck,  Miss  Annie  E.  Waters,  Mrs.  Cora  L.  Tracy,  Mrs. 
Oliver  L.  Johnson,  Mrs.  Julia  Robbins,  Winslow  T. 
Williams,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Thompson,  Mrs.  Speeler  and  Mrs. 
F.  E.  Johnson,  Mrs.  B.  W.  Hyde,  Miss  Caroline  H.  Thomp- 
son, Mrs.  Lewellyn  P.  Smith,  Mrs.  Henry  T.  Arnold,  Mrs. 
Addison  J.  Champlin,  Mrs.  William  J.  Tefft,  Mrs.  Arthur  H. 
Keables,  Mrs.  Freelove  E.  Johnson,  Miss  M.  J.  Palmer,  Mrs. 
Frank  A.  Robinson,  Mrs.  Frank  Clark,  Mrs.  Francis  E. 
Dowe,  Mrs.  Irving  N.  Gifford,  Miss  Sarah  B.  Rogers,  Miss 
Ellen  V.  Marvin,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Barber,  Mrs.  Isaac  Gallup, 
Mrs.  Charles  D.  Gallup,  Miss  Gilman  and  Mrs.  Lane,  Mrs. 
A.  W.  Dickey,  Miss  Sarah  L.  Tyler,  Mrs.  Henry  M.  Coit, 
Mrs.  William  M.  Olcott,  Mrs.  J.  G.  Ayer,  Mrs.  Julia  Arnold, 
Mrs.  William  A.  Aiken,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Leavens,  Mrs.  N.  G. 
Gilbert,  Mrs.  D.  M.  Lester,  Miss  Caroline  T.  Gilman,  Mrs. 
R.  A.  DeProsse,  Edward  P.  Hollowell,  Mrs.  William  H. 
Cardwell,  Miss  Sarah  H.  Perkins,  Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Forbes, 
Mrs.  M.  A.  Geer,  Miss  Adelaide  L.  Beckwith,  Misses  Geer 
and  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Pellett. 

Mitts  and  Shoes  223  Years  Old. 

Mrs.  B.  P.  Learned  loaned  the  mitts  and  shoes,  223 
years  old,  worn  by  Zerviah  Leffingwell,  child  of  Ensign 
Thomas  Leffingwell. 

Array  of  Laces. 

Mrs.  Browne  had  a  choice  array  of  laces  from  Mrs. 
William  A.  Aiken,  Mrs.  Frank  Bruce,  Miss  Charlotte  C. 
Gulliver,  Miss  Gilman  and  Mrs.  Lane,  Mrs.  Lewellyn  P. 
Smith,  Mrs.  George  Betting,  Mrs.  Cora  L.  Tracy,  Mrs.  W. 
T.  Browne,  Mrs.  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Mrs.  George  D.  Coit, 
Miss  M.  J.  Palmer,  Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Forbes,  Misses  Ripley, 


LOAN  EXHIBIT.  173 

Mrs.  F.  E.  Dowe,  Mrs.  Addison  J.  Champlin ;  of  fans  from 
Miss  Sarah  H.  Perkins;  ten  fans  which  belonged  to  the 
"Lady  Huntingtons,"  Mrs  Martin  E.  Jensen,  Miss  Char- 
lotte C.  Gulliver,  Miss  Oilman  and  Mrs.  Lane,  Miss  Jane 
McG.  Aiken ;  fan  belonging  to  wife  of  President  Franklin 
Pierce,  Mrs.  William  A.  Aiken,  Mrs.  William  B.  Young, 
Jonathan  Trumbull,  Mrs.  G.  F.  Barstow,  Miss  Annie  L. 
Ruggles,  Mrs.  F.  L.  Osgood,  Miss  Fanny  L.  Bliss,  Miss 
Eliza  W.  Avery,  Miss  Ella  Norton ;  and  jewelry  from  Miss 
Helen  Marshall,  Mrs.  George  Betting,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  W. 
Tyler  Browne,  Miss  Mabel  A.  Cardwell,  Mrs.  Ida  F.  Harris ; 
carved  tortoise  shell  comb,  Mrs.  Ansel  A.  Beckwith,  Miss 
Charlotte  C.  Gulliver,  Misses  Ripley,  Mrs.  W.  S.  C.  Perkins, 
Jonathan  Trumbull;  knee  buckles  of  the  first  Governor, 
Jonathan  Trumbull,  Mrs.  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Miss  Steiner, 
Charles  P.  Cogswell,  Miss  Amy  L.  Cogswell,  Mrs.  A. 
Hough,  Mrs.  Eunice  H.  Fellows,  Mrs.  F.  L.  Osgood,  Frank 
C.  Turner,  Mrs.  William  P.  Potter,  Miss  Lucretia  H.  Grace, 
Mrs.  Foster  Wilson,  Misses  Lucas.  Pewter  and  brass  were 
contributed  by  Mrs.  B.  P.  Bishop,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Browning, 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Cardwell,  Mrs.  F.  E.  Dowe,  Mrs.  Daniel  Drew, 
Miss  Ellen  Geer,  Charles  D.  Gallup,  Mrs.  B.  W.  Hyde,  Mrs. 
Rufus  H.  Hathaway,  J.  D.  Haviland,  Mrs.  Oliver  L.  John- 
son, Mrs.  F.  E.  Johnson,  Miss  Mary  King,  Mrs.  James  O. 
Landon,  Mrs.  John  C.  Morgan,  Mrs.  H.  M.  Pollock,  Misses 
Ripley,  Miss  Josephine  Storms,  Mrs.  Cora  L.  Tracy,  Miss 
Lucy  White,  Mrs.  A.  Hough,  Mrs.  George  A.  Haskell,  Mrs. 
G.  F.  Barstow,  Mrs.  Addison  Avery,  Mrs.  W.  P.  Potter, 
Winslow  T.  Williams,  Mrs.  B.  P.  Learned,  Miss  Ellen  Geer, 
Mrs.  Channing  Huntington,  Miss  Sarah  H.  Perkins,  Mrs. 
William  B.  Robertson,  Mrs.  Avery  Smith,  Mrs.  Lewellyn 
P.  Smith,  Miss  Ruth  Witter,  Henry  M.  Coit,  Mrs.  Ida  F. 
Harris,  Mrs.  Hugh  McComb,  Mrs.  Owen  Smith,  Frank  C. 
Turner. 

Rare  Old  China. 

Miss  Tyler  has  a  large  collection  of  china  from  Mrs. 
Cora    L.   Tracy,   Miss   Annie   E.    Waters,    Mrs.   Amos   A. 


174  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Browning,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Cardwell,  Mrs.  Lewellyn  P.  Smith, 
Mrs.  J.  A.  Sutliff  Lyon,  Mrs.  B.  P.  Learned,  Mrs.  O.  L. 
Johnson,  Mrs.  B.  P.  Bishop,  Mrs.  Charles  R.  Butts,  Mrs. 
A.  S.  Comstock,  Mrs.  B.  W.  Hyde,  Miss  E.  J.  Shipley,  Mrs. 
G.  F.  Barstow,  Mrs.  Henry  F.  Palmer,  Miss  Sarah  Adams 
of  Jewett  City,  Mrs.  G.  Curtis  Hull,  Mrs.  Foster  Wilson 
and  Miss  Vaughn,  Mrs.  Carrie  E.  Havens,  Mrs.  Seth  Main, 
Miss  Marion  M.  Perkins,  Mrs.  Hugh  H.  Osgood,  Mrs. 
Thomas  Perkins,  Mrs.  Wallace  S.  Allis,  Miss  A.  M.  Fisher, 
Mrs.  F.  E.  Dowe,  Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Forbes,  Miss  Ella  Voorhees, 
Dr.  W.  T.  Browne,  Mrs.  Ransom,  Mrs.  L.  G.  Avery,  Mrs. 
George  L.  Carey,  and  Miss  A.  M.  Fisher,  Mrs.  William  P. 
Potter,  Mrs.  Ansel  A.  Beckwith,  Mrs.  H.  C.  Cheney,  N.  D. 
and  M.  W.  Rouse,  Mrs.  Edwin  Spaulding,  Frank  C.  Turner, 
Misses  Geer,  Mrs.  G.  A.  Haskell,  Mrs.  Owen  Smith,  Misses 
Bliss,  Miss  Mary  St.  J.  Rudd.  There  were  copper  lustre, 
Lowestoft,  salt  glaze  from  Bean  Hill  pottery  loaned  by 
Misses  Bliss ;  puzzling  jug,  Miss  Rudd ;  five-finger  vase, 
Mrs.  Averill ;  tea  caddy  used  by  one  of  the  founders  of 
Norwich,  Mrs.  L.  P.  Smith ;  a  cup  and  saucer  from  the 
"Guerriere,"  taken  by  the  U.  S.  frigate  "Constitution"  in 
1812,  were  loaned  by  Mrs.  B.  P.  Learned. 

Mirrors  and  Clocks. 

Miss  Bliss  had  mirrors  and  clocks  in  variety  from  Mrs. 
L.  A.  Forbes,  Mrs.  C.  L.  Tracy,  Mrs.  H.  F.  Palmer,  Mrs. 
W.  T.  Browne,  Mrs.  Henry  H.  Walker,  Mrs.  L.  P.  Smith, 
Mrs.  O.  D.  Fuller  of  Lebanon,  Miss  A.  M.  Fisher,  F.  C. 
Turner,  Mrs.  Owen  Smith,  Mrs.  Seth  Main,  Miss  A.  E. 
Waters,  Mrs.  Adin  Cook,  Mrs.  Leonard  B.  Almy,  Mrs. 
Francis  A.  Bidwell,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Browning,  Mrs.  J.  O. 
Landon,  Miss  Ruth  Witter,  Mrs.  George  Betting. 

Mirror  of  Mayflower  Days. 

The  oldest  mirror  was  one  which  belonged  to  Peregrine 
White  of  Plymouth,  of  Mayflower  days,  loaned  by  his 
descendant,  Mrs.  Mercy  E.  Cobb  Fuller  of  Lebanon. 


LOAN  EXHIBIT.  175 

Silver  and  Glass. 

Mrs.  Case  had  a  choice  array  of  silver  and  glass  from 
Irving  N.  Gifford,  Mrs.  D.  Bedent,  Mrs.  William  B.  Robert- 
son, Miss  Mary  King,  Roberts  H.  Bishop,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Card- 
well,  Miss  Sarah  A.  Armstrong,  Mrs.  B.  P.  Bishop,  Mrs. 
Charles  R.  Butts,  Winslow  T.  Williams,  Mrs.  John  C.  Mor- 
gan, Misses  Geer,  Mrs.  Josephine  Storms,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
James  O.  Landon,  Miss  Mary  E.  Bidwell,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
William  B.  Young,  Miss  E.  J.  Shipley,  Mrs.  William  M. 
Olcott,  Mrs.  W.  T.  Browne,  Miss  Helen  Marshall,  Miss 
Gilman  and  Mrs.  Lane,  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Miss  Sarah  L. 
Huntington,  Miss  Charlotte  C.  Gulliver,  Mrs.  L.  P.  Smith, 
Mrs.  Frederick  L.  Osgood,  Miss  Annie  E.  Vaughn,  Mrs.  A. 
Hough,  Miss  C.  T.  Gilman,  Mrs.  G.  F.  Barstow,  Miss  Ella 
Voorhees,  Mrs.  Frank  Martin,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Browning,  Harriet 
C.  Cheney,  Nancy  D.  and  Martha  W.  Rouse,  Miss  Lucretia 
H.  Grace,  Frank  C.  Turner,  Mrs.  Harriet  H.  Smith,  Misses 
Ripley,  Miss  A.  E.  Waters,  Mrs.  C.  L.  Tracy,  Mrs.  N.  D. 
Robinson,  Mrs.  B.  W.  Hyde,  Mrs.  A.  S.  Comstock,  Mrs. 
Wallace  S.  Allis,  Dr.  Witter  C.  Tingley  and  Miss  Tingley; 
a  silver  cup  was  the  property  of  John  Robinson,  Jr.,  father 
of  Faith  Robinson  Trumbull,  loaned  by  Jonathan  Trumbull. 

Many  Cleveland  Spoons. 

Mrs.  F.  L.  Osgood  loaned  a  tea  set  of  Sheffield  plate, 
Miss  C.  T.  Gilman,  a  porringer  over  200  years  old,  and  there 
were  many  Cleveland  spoons.  Mrs.  Stearns  had  pictures  of 
Norwich  and  other  old  prints  and  some  curious  needlework 
pictures.  Contributors  were:  Mrs.  H.  G.  Burnett,  N.  D. 
Sevin,  Miss  Sarah  Gorton,  Mrs.  H.  L.  Yerrington,  Mrs.  R. 
C.  Jones,  Mrs.  F.  E.  Johnson,  Mrs.  W.  M.  Olcott,  Mrs. 
Daniel  Drew,  Gurdon  L.  Bidwell,  Mrs.  William  A.  Aiken, 
Miss  Susan  Allen,  Miss  Mary  Rudd,  Misses  Ripley,  Mrs. 
Eunice  H.  Fellows,  Mrs.  Josephine  Storms,  W.  T.  Williams, 
Miss  Gulliver,  Miss  Grace,  Henry  M.  Coit,  Irving  N. 
Gifford,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  B.  Davis,  Misses  Lucas,  Harry  F. 
Parker,  Mrs.  Sylvester  Subert,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Newton,  Miss 


I/O  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Sarah  H.  Perkins,  Mrs.  Avery  Smith,  B.  P.  Bishop,  Frank 
Nichols,  W.  B.  Young,  John  Donovan,  Miss  C.  T.  Gilman, 
J.  E.  C.  Leach,  Mrs.  S.  A.  Curtis,  Frank  M.  Hilton,  Mrs. 
F.  L.  Osgood,  Miss  Millie  Turner,  William  H.  Shields. 

Slippers  Worn  in  Dance  With  Lafayette. 

The  large  oil  painting  of  Norwich  Mrs.  Subert;  the 
"Garden  of  Eden"  in  crewel  work,  Miss  Gilman,  and  a 
portrait  of  Miss  Frances  M.  Caulkins,  author  of  History  of 
Norwich,  loaned  by  Mrs.  H.  H.  Pettis,  were  interesting. 
Mrs.  Robinson  had  some  antique  wearing  apparel  from  Miss 
S.  H.  Perkins,  slippers  worn  by  Miss  Huntington  to  dance 
with  General  Lafayette  in  1775 ;  Mrs.  Addison  J.  Champlin, 
Misses  Williams  of  New  York,  Miss  C.  T.  Gilman,  Mrs.  H. 
F.  Davis,  Miss  Kate  Willey,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Morgan,  Mrs.  N.  D. 
Robinson,  Mrs.  Frank  Clark,  Misses  Ripley,  Isaac  S.  Jones, 
Miss  Annie  E.  Vaughn,  Mrs.  Cardwell,  Mrs.  F.  E.  Johnson, 
Mrs.  Browning,  Miss  M.  J.  Palmer,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Robertson, 
Mrs.  Avery  Smith,  Mrs.  Frank  A.  Mitchell,  Mrs.  Mary  A. 
Pellett,  Miss  Gulliver,  Mrs.  H.  H.  Osgood,  Mrs.  Henry  S. 
Higgins  of  Brantford,  Canada ;  Mrs.  G.  D.  Coit,  Edward  P. 
Hollowell  of  Preston,  Mrs.  Olin  F.  Boynton  of  Uncasville, 
Mrs.  George  Mills  of  Lebanon,  Mrs.  George  A.  Keppler, 
Mrs.  William  H.  Shields,  Mrs.  J.  H.  George,  Mrs.  George 
Greenman,  Mrs.  Frank  Clark,  Mrs.  Lucy  A.  Forbes,  Mrs. 
B.  F.  Pendleton,  Misses  Geer,  and  Mrs.  Owen  Smith  sent 
many  articles  having  interesting  histories  and  of  ancient 
date.  A  wedding  gown  of  pink  striped  silk  embroidered  in 
roses  was  copied  from  one  worn  by  the  English  queen. 

Miscellaneous  Articles. 

Mrs.  Robertson  had  a  lot  of  miscellaneous  articles: 
Smoking  tongs,  Mrs.  B.  L.  Lewis;  doll's  coach,  a  smaller 
edition  of  the  lord  mayor  of  London's,  Dr.  and  Miss  Ting- 
ley;  tinder  box,  Miss  Geer,  and  several  Revolutionary 
swords  with  other  things  from  Mrs.  Julia  H.  Newton,  Miss 
S.  H.  Perkins,  Miss  Ruth  M.  Thayer ,  Miss  Annie  L. 


LOAN  EXHIBIT.  177 

Ruggles,  Miss  Susan  Allen,  Mrs.  B.  P.  Learned,  Jonathan 
Trumbull,  F.  J.  Leavens,  Miss  Mary  Rudd,  W.  T.  Williams, 
Miss  Mary  C.  Barnes,  Miss  Waters,  Mrs.  W.  T.  Browne, 
Misses  Ripley,  Mrs.  B.  P.  Bishop,  Dr.  Anthony  Peck,  Miss 
S.  A.  Armstrong,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Robertson,  Misses  Bliss;  a 
model  of  the  old  geometry  bridge  over  the  Shetucket,  Mrs. 
R.  H.  Goldsworthy,  Miss  Gulliver,  Mrs.  H.  H.  Osgood, 
Misses  Geer,  Miss  Alice  C.  Dyer,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Forbes,  Mrs. 
L.  P.  Smith,  Mrs.  D.  P.  Walden,  Miss  M.  C.  Buckingham, 
Mrs.  George  Mills,  Mrs.  A.  Hough,  Miss  Ruth  Witter,  Mrs. 
G.  D.  Coit,  Mrs.  Olin  Boynton,  Mrs.  G.  A.  Haskell,  Mrs. 
J.  O.  Landon,  Master  Tyler  Rogers,  Miss  Geer,  Mrs. 
Arthur  Keables,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Beckwith,  Mrs.  Edwin  Spauld- 
ing,  Mrs.  Charles  C.  Richards,  Mrs.  H.  H.  Smith,  Misses 
Lucas,  Mrs.  Frank  Clark. 

Indian  Relics. 

Among  the  Indian  relics  Mrs.  E.  T.  Baker  of  Mohegan 
loaned  a  mortar  and  pestle  300  years  old;  Miss  Gilman,  a 
bowl,  called  the  Uncas  bowl,  and  Lemuel  Fielding,  a 
bottle  belonging  once  to  Uncas.  There  was  an  Uncas  deed, 
Samson  Occum's  Bible,  from  the  Misses  Ripley,  and  other 
relics  from  Rev.  John  H.  Newland,  Mrs.  Emma  T.  Baker, 
Lemuel  Fielding,  Mrs.  Essie  Nickolson  of  Plainfield,  Arthur 
L.  Peale,  Charles  E.  Briggs,  Miss  Josie  Carter,  Dr.  W.  S. 
C.  Perkins,  Adams  P.  Carroll,  Miss  Alice  W.  Cogswell,  Miss 
Mary  C.  Barnes,  Mrs.  Nelson  D.  Robinson,  Mrs.  Daniel 
Drew,  Miss  Geer,  Mrs.  L.  G.  Avery,  R.  B.  Gorton,  Mrs. 
Ransom. 

Major  Mason's  Sword. 

Major  John  Mason's  sword,  from  the  Historical  society, 
occupied  a  position  of  honor  in  a  special  case,  and  down- 
stairs in  the  hall  was  the  "Torrent,"  the  first  fire  engine 
used  in  Norwich  and  the  sixth  one  built  in  America,  1769. 
Among  the  books  of  Miss  Geer's  division  was  the  original 
subscription  list  for  this  engine,  having  signatures  of  all 
the  prominent  citizens  of  that  date,  loaned  by  Misses  Bliss. 


NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Antique  Furniture. 

The  north  alcove  was  occupied  by  Emerson  P.  Turner, 
who  had  his  own  specimens  of  antique  furniture,  arranged 
in  chronological  order — Indian,  early  colonial,  Dutch,  Chip- 
pendale, Adams,  Hepplewhite,  Spanish,  Sheraton,  Ameri- 
can, empire;  also  copies  of  Connecticut  Gazette  and  Nor- 
wich Packet.  David  M.  Torosian  showed  five  pieces  of 
furniture. 

(From  the  Norwich  Bulletin.) 
SERMONS. 

In  response  to  the  request  sent  out  to  ministers  to 
preach  historical  sermons  Sunday  morning,  there  was  a 
general  effort  made  along  that  line  by  the  clergy,  although 
sermons  dealing  with  the  anniversary  rather  than  historical 
in  most  cases  were  preached.  The  congregations  were 
very  large,  including  many  former  members  who  had  moved 
from  town  and  many  visitors.  In  a  number  of  churches 
the  regular  communion  sermons  were  preached,  a  number  of 
the  ministers  feeling  that  historical  sermons  were  hardly 
appropriate  to  them  owing  to  their  comparatively  short 
residence  here.  However,  in  practically  all  the  churches 
some  reference  was  made  to  the  anniversary. 

At  the  First  Congregational  Church,  Sunday  morning, 
a  church  which  is  as  old  as  the  town,  Rev.  George  H. 
Ewing,  pastor,  took  as  his  topic,  "Some  Roots  of  Our  City's 
Character,"  and  preached  from  Isaiah  26:1:  In  that  day 
shall  this  song  be  sung  in  our  land:  We  have  a  strong 
city:  salvation  will  he  appoint  for  walls  and  bulwarks. 
Mr.  Ewing  said: 

If  the  story  of  Norwich  has  any  vital  significance  what- 
ever, it  is  to  be  found  in  the  contribution  which  our  fair 
city  has  made  toward  the  realization  of  Christ's  kingdom  on 
earth.  Cities,  like  human  beings,  have  an  element  of  per- 
sonality. No  two  are  alike,  and  each  has  its  own  individu- 
ality. Public  buildings  and  palatial  residences  do  not  make 


SERMONS.  179 

a  city.  Character  makes  a  city.  I  purpose  to  point  out 
some  roots  of  that  character  as  they  lie  snugly  imbedded  in 
the  history  of  Norwich. 

1.  First,  observe  the  debt  we  owe  to  the  first  founders 
of  our  town.     When  Major  John  Mason  and  Rev.  James 
Fitch  and  their  thirty-three  companions  left  the  town  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Connecticut  and  came  to  the  beautiful 
wild  land  at  the  head  of  the  Thames,  they  impoverished 
a  Saybrook,  but  by  the  sterling  qualities  of  their  character 
they  permanently  enriched  a  Norwich.    The  first  pastor  of 
this  church  was  no  mere  ecclesiastic.     He  was  a  man  of 
God,  a  lover  of  souls,  a  zealous  and  indefatigable  pastor, 
a  devoted  missionary  to  the  Indians.    The  other  of  the  two 
leading  founders  was  a  man  of  no  less  weight.    Three  times 
a  pioneer  hero,  once  at  Dorchester,  again  at  Windsor,  and 
a   third   time   at   Saybrook,   he   was   not   deterred   by   his 
three-score  years  from  casting  in  his  lot  for  a  fourth  time 
with  a  new  town.    For  eight  years  he  was  deputy  governor 
and  for  two  years  acting  governor  of  Connecticut.     For 
years  men  of  such  caliber  were  moulding  the  town  that  250 
years  ago  nestled  in  this  lovely  valley.    Truly  our  greater 
debts  are  payable  not  to  mountains  or  rivers  but  to  men  and 
moral  principles.     From  them  we  have  acquired  not  only 
a  fair  name  in  which  to  glory,  but  a  solid  character  to  sus- 
tain through  years  as  yet  unborn. 

2.  The    character    of    Norwich    is    firmly    rooted    in 
religion.     In  those  early  years  church  and  state  were  one. 
The  leading  men  in  the  political  society  were  the  leading 
men    in    the    ecclesiastical    society.      Practically    all    the 
founders  were  also  church  members.     The  whole  settle- 
ment was  emphatically  a  Christian  brotherhood.    For  sixty 
years  so  closely  were  town  and  church  knit  together  that 
the  affairs  of  both  were  recorded  in  one  book.    The  univer- 
sal text  book  for  school  children  was  the  New  England 
Primer,     which     contained     the     Westminster     catechism. 
Whatever  we  may  have  to  say  for  or  against  the  wisdom  of 
our  fathers  in  their  strict  observance  of  the  Lord's  day  we 
cannot   deny  that   they  were   men   of   conscience.     Their 


l8o  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

religion  was  no  veneer.  It  was  the  most  important  part  of 
their  lives.  With  the  march  of  the  centuries  fashions  have 
changed.  The  Puritan  Sabbath  has  retired  to  the  back- 
ground. Church  going  is  not  the  universal  custom  it  once 
was.  The  outward  forms  of  religion  do  not  bulk  so  large 
as  in  the  olden  days  when  social  relations  were  simpler. 
Yet  who  shall  say  that  the  great  spiritual  realities  which 
underlie  religious  forms  are  growing  dimmer  or  losing  their 
force  ? 

3.  The  character  of  this  fair  city  lies  rooted  in  her 
loyalty  to  state  and  nation.  As  a  pioneer  town  of  a  pioneer 
colony,  and  as  a  growing  and  busy  city  under  the  stars 
and  stripes  we  have  never  forgotten  that  we  are  part  of 
a  greater  whole.  When  the  burdens  of  settlement  were  most 
severe  the  duty  of  town  to  state  never  fell  into  abeyance. 
The  committee  of  safety  appointed  by  the  governor  in  1775, 
consisted  of  nine  persons,  of  whom  three  were  Huntingtons 
from  Norwich.  When  the  war  was  waging  with  all  its 
dreadful  carnage,  George  Washington  could  find  no  man 
in  all  the  country  better  fitted  for  the  office  of  brigadier 
general  than  our  own  Jedediah  Huntington.  The  two  great 
wars  in  which  our  country  has  been  engaged  were  schools 
of  patriotism  at  once  for  those  on  the  firing  line  and  for 
those  who  at  home  prepared  the  sinews  of  war.  This  spirit 
has  been  wrought  into  the  warp  and  woof  of  our  life.  It 
has  become  a  part  of  our  character. 

If  by  some  high  act  of  imagination  we  could  uncentury 
ourselves  and  look  down  upon  our  present-day  Norwich 
from  the  vantage  point  of  distant  years  I  am  confident  we 
should  see  more  clearly  than  now  we  can  how  marvelously 
the  hand  of  God  is  moulding  the  affairs  of  our  city  to  His 
own  eternal  honor. 

At  Trinity  Episcopal  Church  on  Sunday  morning  the 
Rev.  J.  Eldred  Brown  spoke  on  "What  the  Churches 
Contribute  to  Civic  Life,"  his  text  being  Psalm  127:1, 
"Except  the  Lord  keep  the  city,  the  watchman  waketh  but 
in  vain."  Mr.  Brown  said: 


SERMONS.  l8l 

In  the  order  of  civilization  the  moralities,  graces  and 
refinements  of  life  came  last.  First  and  foremost  came  the 
brute  instinct  of  self  preservation.  The  original  members 
of  the  human  race  were  for  a  long  period  fully  occupied  in 
battling  with  the  gigantic  forces  of  primeval  nature. 
Forests  had  to  be  felled,  means  of  defense  provided,  both 
against  savage  beasts  and  against  their  fellow  men  who,  in 
the  fierce  contest  for  existence,  recognized  no  right  but 
that  of  brute  force.  In  those  rude  times  and  circumstances 
only  the  physically  strongest  could  survive.  Before  man 
could  even  feel  free  to  enjoy  bare  subsistence  a  host  of 
natural  forces  had  to  be  opposed  and  brought  under  control. 
All  this  made  the  animal  side  of  man  predominant.  The 
conditions  of  life  tended  towards  the  development  of  the 
stronger  and  more  heroic  qualities ;  they  made  man  a 
fighter.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  to  find  these  qual- 
ities uppermost  for  ages  in  color,  tribe,  nation  and  even 
empire.  Nor  is  it  unnatural  that  the  standards  of  the  world 
should  have  been  for  ages  physical  prowess  and  brute 
strength,  as  displayed  in  the  arena  and  in  war.  Moreover, 
men  found  it  hard  to  overcome  this  brute  inheritance  and 
custom.  They  for  ages  could  rise  only  to  the  external  side 
of  refinement — its  comforts  and  luxuries.  And  these,  for 
lack  of  the  internal  virtues  which  alone  can  give  them 
worth,  simply  made  men  effeminate.  And  so  this  sort  of 
civilization  always  degenerated  and  finally  perished  under 
the  weight  of  its  own  vices.  This  was  the  case  with  all 
the  ancient  empires,  including  Rome. 

Life,  as  we  know  it,  with  its  moralities,  restraint, 
respect  for  law,  its  sympathies,  generosities  and  refine- 
ments, is  the  creation  of  Christianity.  It  is  the  natural 
resultant  of  the  conviction  that  slavery  is  a  hideous  sin, 
that  wars  of  conquest  are  degrading,  that  woman  is  on  a 
par  with  man  as  regards  her  native  rights,  and  his  superior 
as  regards  the  gentler  and  more  humane  qualities ;  that  man 
has,  over  and  above  his  animal  nature,  an  immortal  soul ; 
that  material  possessions  are  all  temporal  and  perishable ; 
that  the  truly  heroic  qualities  are  neither  physical  nor 


l82  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

mental,  but  moral  and  spiritual ;  that  the  refinements  and 
graces  that  truly  ennoble  life  are  not  its  comforts  and 
luxuries,  but  its  moralities,  sacrifices,  generosities  and 
charities,  which  make  life  honest,  clean,  just,  peace- 
ful and  loving.  And  these  are  the  qualities  in  life 
for  which  the  churches  stand,  and  which  they  are  ever 
seeking  to  practice  and  preach.  When  we  look  over  the 
list  of  institutions  which  make  a  city  a  good  and  desirable 
place  to  live  in  we  find  that  there  is  no  one  of  them  which 
is  not  in  direct  need  of  religion  to  strengthen  and  develop 
it.  Foremost  among  these  institutions,  because  at  their 
base,  is  the  home.  How  much  the  character  of  a  city  de- 
pends on  the  character,  teaching  and  example  of  its  homes ! 
What  is  more  essential  to  the  good  name  and  prosperity  of 
a  city  than  homes  which  have  at  their  head  honest,  tem- 
perate, law-abiding,  God-fearing  fathers,  and  pure,  devoted, 
unselfish,  home-loving  mothers?  The  home  that  is  the 
opposite  of  these  is  a  breeder  of  corruption  and  criminality, 
a  fashioner  of  the  stuff  out  of  which  comes  the  pauper,  the 
degenerate,  the  vicious.  Now  the  churches  are  the  home's 
best  friend.  Whatever  virtues  and  moralities  are  taught  in 
a  good  home  are  confirmed  and  extended  by  the  churches. 
We  can  never  realize  how  much  the  churches  mean  to  the 
home,  directly  and  indirectly,  until  we  imagine  our  children 
obliged,  while  still  infants,  to  live  and  grow  up  in  a  heathen 
community.  The  creation  of  a  community  conscience,  or 
environment,  which  is  the  work  of  Christianity,  directly  aids 
a  good  home  and  helps  to  correct  the  influence  of  the  bad 
home.  The  school  is  another  institution  essential  to  the 
attractiveness  and  worth  of  a  city.  But  the  school  trains 
chiefly  the  mind.  Learning  is  essential  to  fit  and  train  the 
child  for  life;  but  learning,  without  character,  is  a  danger 
and  a  menace.  It  is  the  work  of  the  churches  to  moralize 
learning,  to  convert  it  into  wisdom,  to  make  us  realize  its 
subordination  to  duty  and  character.  There  is  no  greater 
friend  of  the  school  than  the  church,  which  teaches  us  to 
consecrate  our  learning  to  principle  and  service. 

So  again  it  is  essential  to  a  city  that  it  should  be  well 
governed.     Its  mayor  and  council  should  have  knowledge 


SERMONS.  183 

of  the  city's  needs  and  ability  to  meet  its  problems.  Its 
police  force  should  be  adequate.  Its  courts  should  exercise 
even  justice.  Its  lawyers  should  be  well  learned  in  the  law. 
But  we  may  have  all  this  and  be  poorly  governed,  because 
our  officers  and  legal  guardians  are  devoid  of  character  and 
given  over  to  the  desire  for  "graft."  In  a  word,  back  of 
everything  that  concerns  the  government  of  a  city  is  the 
absolute  need  of  character,  of  moral  principle  and  backbone. 
This  is  what  religion  and  the  churches  are  endeavoring  to 
contribute  to  the  government  of  a  city.  They  aim  to  pro- 
duce the  kind  of  men  that  will  govern  wisely  and  honestly, 
and  they  aim  to  develop  a  community-conscience  that  will 
seek  such  men  for  civic  office.  And,  finally,  the  welfare  of 
a  city  depends  much  on  its  charitable  and  philanthropic 
enterprises — its  care  for  its  poor,  unfortunate  and  sick. 
Now  the  Christian  religion  insists  on  the  law  of  love.  It 
is  the  spirit  of  Jesus  to  work  for  others.  Wherever  the 
Christian  church  has  gone  there  have  quickly  followed 
hospitals,  orphanages,  homes  for  the  destitute  and  fallen, 
and  every  sort  of  organization  for  the  relief  of  sorrow, 
suffering  and  misery.  The  churches  are  the  creators  or 
inspirers  of  these  institutions,  and  it  is  the  churches  which 
principally  maintain  them.  Such,  then,  and  such  like,  are 
the  contributions  which  the  churches  make  to  the  vital 
institutions  of  a  city.  And  such  have  been  the  contributions 
of  its  churches  to  the  civic  institutions  of  Norwich.  Nor- 
wich to-day  is  what  it  is  largely  because  of  its  church  mem- 
bers, past  and  present.  Its  homes,  its  schools,  its  govern- 
ment, its  charitable  institutions  and  enterprises — whatever 
goes  to  make  up  its  desirableness  as  a  place  of  residence — 
are  in  large  part  the  creation  of  men  who  have  believed 
in  the  providential  ordering  of  God  and  have  endeavored 
to  realize  that,  back  of  all  human  devices  for  the  safety 
and  welfare  of  the  city,  there  must  be  the  fear  of  God  and 
the  desire  for  righteousness.  Given  these  things  in  an 
individual,  you  have  good  citizenship.  Given  them  in  a 
community,  you  have  a  community  which  the  Lord  will 
always  "keep." 


184  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

At  the  First  Baptist  Church  on  Sunday  morning  the 
pastor,  Rev.  W.  T.  Thayer,  preached  a  sermon  consonant 
with  the  thought  of  the  celebration.  His  text  was  from  I 
Samuel  7:1-2,  "Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us."  Con- 
fronted with  to-day's  problems  man  would  fail  in  their  solu- 
tion without  the  tutelage  of  the  past.  What  God  has  done 
God  can  do.  Leaning  on  the  staff  of  memory  we  walk  over 
the  highways  of  the  yesterdays  and  listen  as  experience  tells 
us  how  the  Lord  hath  helped  us.  Recognition  of  past  favors 
engenders  confidence  for  future  guidance.  What  this  church 
has  contributed  toward  the  religious  life  of  the  city  cannot 
be  told.  Knowledge  cannot  lead  the  way  and  imagination 
soon  outruns  reason.  This  is  of  little  import  compared  with 
the  service  to  be  rendered  on  the  morrows.  The  record  of 
the  past  is  with  God.  The  promise  of  to-morrow  is  ours. 
Our  fathers  sowed  and  did  their  work  well.  It  is  for  us 
to  put  in  the  sickle  and  meanwhile  sow  for  another's  reap- 
ing. The  future  is  veiled  in  mystery,  but  the  succor  of  God 
in  the  years  gone  by  bespeaks  a  large  mission  in  those  to 
come.  If  it  be  true  that  the  gates  of  hell  endeavor  to  pre- 
vail in  proportion  as  the  cause  is  of  God,  then  this  church 
is  commissioned  of  God,  for  many  have  been  the  enemies 
who  have  sought  to  undermine  it.  Still  it  has  a  peculiar 
mission.  The  West  Side  has  its  own  problems  and  this 
church  must  help  in  their  solving.  To  the  support  of  the 
cause  we  may  confidently  ask  all  of  our  own  faith,  and 
indeed  all  of  whatever  name  who  desire  the  perpetuity  of 
Christian  principles,  the  maintenance  of  a  Christian  com- 
munity. The  future  is  bright  with  promise  for  God  com- 
pletes his  work.  On  creation's  evening  He  said:  "It  is 
good."  Giving  the  law  to  Israel  he  said :  "Thou  shalt  not 
add  thereto."  On  Calvary  he  exclaimed:  "It  is  finished." 
Our  work  is  never  finished.  We  strive  to  complete  a  circle 
and  night  finds  us  with  only  a  segment.  Not  being  able 
to  detect  the  curvature  in  the  circle,  discouragement  fol- 
lows, for  life  seems  flat  and  monotonous.  Science,  art, 
invention,  these  are  still  in  their  infancy,  and  Christianity 
is  young.  To-morrow  a  larger  horizon  will  be  ours  and 
a  truer  vision,  for  God  is  clearing  the  spiritual  atmosphere. 


SERMONS.  185 

Trust  him,  for  hitherto  he  hath  helped  us,  and  as  the  past 
has  given  us  a  rich  heritage,  labor  and  love  that  others 
entering  into  our  labor  may  find  the  heritage  richer  and 
more  as  Christ  desires. 

St.  Patrick's  Church.  In  place  of  the  customary  low 
mass  which  is  the  rule  in  St.  Patrick's  parish  during  July 
and  August,  the  rector,  Rev.  Hugh  Treanor,  had  a  high 
mass  celebrated  on  Sunday  because  of  the  large  number  of 
anniversary  visitors.  The  music  arranged  by  Choir  Director 
F.  L.  Farrell  was  well  interpreted  by  the  regular  choir, 
Miss  Greeley  and  Roderick  F.  Sullivan  singing  an  "Ave 
Maria"  at  the  offertory  with  tuneful  blending  of  voices. 

It  was  the  fifth  Sunday  after  Pentecost  and  the  day's 
epistle,  I  Peter  iii.  8-15,  "Dearly  beloved:  Be  ye  all  of 
one  mind  in  prayer,  sympathizing,  loving  the  brotherhood," 
etc.,  suggested  the  theme  of  Brotherhood,  Unity,  upon 
which  Father  Treanor  spoke. 

Incidentally  he  directed  attention  to  the  part  which 
Catholics  had  had  in  the  moral  and  material  growth  of  the 
town. 

The  mass  was  celebrated  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  McCarthy, 
who  gave  the  benediction  of  the  blessed  sacrament  at  its 
close. 

At  the  Bean  Hill  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  on  Sun- 
day morning,  Rev.  Jerome  Greer  took  for  his  text, 
"Righteousness  Exalteth  a  Nation,  but  Sin  is  a  Reproach 
to  Any  People."  He  said: 

The  lesson  of  the  text  is  self-evident.  Men  who  ought 
to  be  seeking  righteousness  are  seeking  their  own  way. 
Because  punishment  is  long  deferred  men  think  it  will  not 
come.  The  children  of  Israel  sinned  and  were  punished. 
Rome's  decline  and  fall  had  its  causes  in  sin  and  the 
corrupting  influences  that  sapped  the  vitality  of  the  nation's 
strength. 

Our  country  is  yet  new ;  it  takes  time  for  influences  to 
work  out.  If  evil  continues  it  leads  to  destruction.  But 


l86  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

there  are  forces  for  righteousness.  Love  of  country,  love 
of  home,  love  of  God,  go  together  to  make  a  true  patriot. 
The  right  heart  of  the  individual  will  affect  society  as  a 
whole. 

We  need  to  put  the  reproach  of  the  saloon  out  of  the 
land.  Reformation  has  begun  in  the  observance  of  the 
Fourth.  Our  city  will  have  150  extra  policemen  to  prevent 
explosives  this  year,  but  the  saloons  will  do  much  more 
damage  if  they  are  not  closed. 

All  good  centers  about  a  church,  about  her  altars  and 
issues  from  her  doors.  We  do  not  know  the  value  of 
Methodism  to  this  community  and  city.  In  1790  the  first 
Methodist  sermon  was  preached  in  Norwich.  The  first 
Methodist  church  was  here  on  Bean  Hill.  The  congregation 
worshipped  first  in  the  old  academy  just  below  here. 
Righteousness  is  still  to  be  exalted  because  of  this  church. 

At  Christ  Episcopal  Church  Sunday  morning,  Rev. 
J.  Newton  Perkins  of  New  York,  formerly  of  this  city, 
occupied  the  pulpit  and  preached  from  Isaiah  35:1.  "The 
wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad  for  them ; 
and  th'e  desert  shall  rejoice,  and  blossom  as  the  rose."  He 
reviewed  the  history  of  the  Episcopal  church  in  this  coun- 
try and  its  adverse  reception  in  this  state.  While  Puritan- 
ism was  taking  deep  root  in  Connecticut  it  is  not  surprising 
that  a  period  of  eighty-eight  years  elapsed  after  the  settle- 
ment of  the  town  before  any  one  had  the  courage  to  open 
a  prayer  book  or  suggest  a  liturgical  service  in  Norwich. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  out  of  New  England  Congre- 
gationalism came  the  man  who  was  destined  to  be  the 
pioneer  Episcopal  missionary  in  this  wilderness  as  well  as 
the  father  of  the  Episcopal  church  in  this  town. 

Mr.  Perkins  referred  to  the  laying  of  the  cornerstone  of 
the  third  edifice  of  this  venerable  parish  by  the  first  bishop 
of  Delaware,  who  as  a  lad  had  been  educated  here.  The 
building  surpassed  in  architectural  design  any  structure  in 
the  city.  On  a  stone  table  which  stood  beneath  the  triple 
lancets  of  the  chancel  window  for  years  there  was  the  name 
of  Ebenezer  Punderson,  who  for  four  years  had  been  a 


SERMONS.  187 

Congregational  minister  in  North  Salem,  but  relinquished 
his  charge  and  sought  ordination  from  the  bishop  of  London. 
He  was  assigned  the  missionary  post  of  North  Groton, 
Norwich  and  Hebron  and  during  thirty  years  he  failed  to 
officiate  on  only  one  Sunday.  He  raised  up  eleven  churches 
and  became  pastor  of  this  church  in  1749,  remaining  two 
years. 

The  Rev.  John  Tyler,  also  received  holy  orders  from 
the  lord  bishop  of  London,  was  settled  as  rector  in  1769 
and  retained  the  office  for  fifty-four  years. 

In  1758  Christ  church  was  named  and  in  1789  the 
parish  removed  to  Main  street  where  the  church  was  con- 
secrated in  1791  by  Bishop  Seabury.  The  old  church  was 
removed  to  Salem  in  1830,  the  second  church  having  been 
consecrated  in  1829.  The  cornerstone  of  the  present  church 
was  laid  in  1846  and  the  church  consecrated  by  Bishop 
Brownell  in  1849.  On  July  n,  1882,  the  consecration  of 
St.  Andrew's  church  in  Greeneville  took  place. 

That  the  ministrations  of  succeeding  pastors  of  this 
flock  have  not  been  fruitless  is  witnessed  by  the  fact  that 
four  bishops  of  our  church  and  eighteen  ministers  of  the 
gospel  received  their  early  education  in  this  parish. 
Of  this  goodly  number,  all  but  two  have  gone  to  their 
rest. 

At  the  Universalist  Church,  Sunday  morning,  Rev. 
Joseph  F.  Cobb,  pastor,  preached  from  the  text  Deut.  4:32, 
"Ask  now  of  the  days  that  are  past,"  and  said : 

As  a  town  we  are  celebrating  the  25oth  anniversary 
of  its  birth,  and  we  are  to-day  to  consider  the  relationship 
of  this  church  to  the  town.  As  we  look  over  more  than 
a  hundred  years  since  Universalism  was  first  preached  in 
this  town  we  shall  find  that  almost  undreamed  of  changes 
have  taken  place  in  the  thought  and  temper  of  the  inhab- 
itants in  regard  to  religion.  It  will  not  be  my  purpose  to 
enter  into  any  theological  argument  at  this  time,  but  simply 
to  rehearse  for  you  the  historical  setting  of  this  church 
and  society. 


l88  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

To-day  Universalists  believe  in  (i)  the  universal 
fatherhood  of  God ;  (2)  the  spiritual  authority  and  leader- 
ship of  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ;  (3)  the  trustworthiness  of 
the  Bible  as  containing  a  revelation  from  God ;  (4)  the  cer- 
tainty of  just  retribution  for  sin;  (5)  the  final  harmony  of 
all  souls  with  God. 

The  Universalist  church  stands  for  Christian  manhood 
and  womanhood.  You  will  find  a  reason  for  living  cor- 
rectly, justly  and  truly  in  the  words  that  are  over  the 
entrance  to  this  building:  'We  trust  in  the  living  God  who 
is  the  Saviour  of  all  men."  I.  Tim.  4:  10. 

The  first  American  preacher  of  Universalism  was  Dr. 
George  de  Benneville,  born  1703,  died  1793,  who  was  both 
a  physician  and  preacher.  In  1741  he  came  to  America  and 
at  Olney,  Penn.,  built  a  house  with  a  hall  seating  fifty 
people,  in  which  he  often  preached. 

Rev.  John  Murray  is  the  father  of  our  organized  church. 
He  came  to  America  in  1770,  and  in  1772  he  came  to  Nor- 
wich and  preached  in  the  great  Meeting  House  occupied 
by  Dr.  Lord  (First  Congregational). 

As  often  as  once  or  twice  a  year,  for  several  successive 
years,  Mr.  Murray  paid  visits  to  this  town  and  preached. 
He  reckoned  among  his  early  and  steadfast  friends  and  a 
believer  in  the  final  salvation  of  all  men  Rev.  John  Tyler, 
then  rector  of  Christ  church  (Episcopal). 

About  the  year  1791  a  Universalist  society  was  formed 
in  this  town.  Not  much  is  known  about  this  early  society, 
but  it  is  quite  certain  that  the  society  was  in  operation  when 
Rev.  Elhanan  Winchester,  an  eloquent  preacher  of  Univer- 
salism, visited  Norwich  in  the  year  1794.  After  the  death 
of  Mr.  Winchester  the  doctrine  of  Universalism  did  not 
seem  to  advance.  Many  of  the  believers  attended  the  First 
church  and  others  the  Episcopal  church,  where  courtesy  and 
liberality  were  extended  towards  them. 

The  first  clergyman,  after  this  season  of  spiritual  declen- 
sion, to  preach  the  restitution  of  all  things  and  arouse  the 
sleeping  brotherhood  of  that  faith,  seems  to  have  been  Rev. 
Edward  Mitchell  of  New  York.  New  life  and  vigor  seemed 
to  have  been  put  into  the  believers  in  universal  salvation, 


SERMONS.  189 

and  they  began  to  bestir  themselves  for  another  effort. 
Accordingly  Rev.  Hosea  Ballou,  2d,  then  of  Stafford, 
preached  several  times  from  1817  to  1820. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1820  the  present  Univer- 
salist  society  was  organized,  under  the  name  of  the  Society 
of  United  Christian  Friends  in  the  towns  of  Norwich, 
Preston  and  Groton. 

In  the  spring  of  1821  Rev.  Charles  Hudson  was  engaged 
to  preach  here  one-fourth  of  the  time  for  a  year,  but 
remained  until  1823. 

The  church  building  (that  is  now  a  dwelling  house 
on  Cliff  street)  was  erected  on  the  site  where  we  are  now, 
and  on  July  21,  1821,  was  solemnly  dedicated  to  the  worship 
of  the  one  true  "God  who  is  the  Saviour  of  all  men,  espe- 
cially of  those  who  believe."  Rev.  Edward  Mitchell 
preached  the  dedication  sermon.  In  the  spring  of  1812, 
by  the  judicious  labors  of  Mr.  Hudson  a  Sabbath  school 
was  opened,  thought  to  be  the  first  Universalist  school  in 
the  state  and  among  the  first  in  America. 

Rev.  Zephaniah  Grossman  preached  one-fourth  of  the 
time  for"  a  year,  1823-1824.  In  April  and  May,  1825,  arrange- 
ment was  made  with  Rev.  Zelotes  Fuller  to  preach  half  the 
time  for  a  year.  He  continued  to  July,  1827.  From  1827 
to  1834  there  was  no  settled  pastor.  In  October,  1834,  Rev. 
Asher  Moore,  then  of  New  London,  was  engaged  to  preach 
once  a  month  for  a  year.  In  the  fall  of  1835  Rev.  John  H. 
Gibson  was  called  to  the  pastorate  and  remained  less  than 
two  years.  It  was  during  his  pastorate  that  the  Sabbath 
school  was  formed  that  continues  to  the  present  time. 

It  was  also  during  his  ministry  that  the  name  of  the 
society  was  changed  to  that  which  it  now  bears,  viz.,  "The 
First  Universalist  Society  in  Norwich."  In  1842  an  act  of 
the  legislature  was  obtained  legalizing  the  change  and  also 
the  proceedings  of  the  society  to  that  time  under  its  new 
name. 

From  1836  to  July,  1838,  the  society  was  without  a 
settled  pastor,  yet  during  that  period  a  church  was  organ- 
ized on  the  6th  of  February,  1838,  through  the  influence  of 


NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Mr.  Gerard  Bushnell,  then  a  member  of  the  society,  but 
who  later  became  a  Universalist  minister. 

In  July,  1838,  Rev.  Henry  Lyon  became  the  pastor  and 
continued  until  April,  1840.  In  the  summer  of  1840  Rev. 
J.  V.  Wilson  succeeded  to  the  pastorate,  under  whose  en- 
couragement, advice  and  material  aid  this  present  building 
(which  we  are  to  leave  July  n,  1909)  was  erected.  There 
were  202  contributors.  The  bricks  were  made  by  a  Mr. 
Standish  of  Preston.  The  building  committee  was  Jedediah 
Spaulding,  Charles  Denison,  Theodore  F.  Albertson,  Caleb 
Miller  and  Thomas  Potter.  The  edifice  was  completed  and 
dedicated  in  the  fall  of  1841. 

The  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  W.  S.  Balch  of  New 
York.  Among  the  workers  of  1841  now  living  are  Mrs. 
Hempstead,  Mrs.  Hill  and  Mrs.  Crocker.  The  pastorate  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Wilson  terminated  in  the  early  part  of  1842.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  R.  O.  Williams,  who  served  to  the 
autumn  of  1844.  November  5,  1845,  Rev.  L.  C.  Brown  was 
installed  as  pastor,  resigning  in  September,  1848.  January 
n,  1847,  the  society  voted  to  buy  more  land  and  enlarge  the 
church  building. 

October,  1848,  Rev.  Elhanan  Winchester  Reynolds 
commenced  his  labors  here  and  was  installed  pastor  Novem- 
ber 15,  1848,  at  which  time  this  building,  which  had  been 
enlarged,  was  dedicated.  Mr.  Reynolds  resigned  in  Septem- 
ber, 1850.  Rev.  A.  L.  Loveland  immediately  succeeded  him, 
serving  until  October  i,  1853. 

Rev.  Benjamin  Whittemore,  the  honored,  beloved  and 
revered  pastor  of  this  society  for  eight  years,  became  the 
leader  of  this  people  in  April,  1854,  serving  until  the  spring 
of  1862. 

After  the  resignation  of  Rev.  Mr.  Whittemore,  Rev. 
R.  P.  Ambler  accepted  a  call  on  April  15,  1862,  remaining 
until  May,  1865. 

Under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  Riley  Johnson,  who 
began  his  duties  October  16,  1865,  the  church  was  reorgan- 
ized October,  1866,  adopting  a  new  covenant  and  constitu- 
tion November  19,  1866.  In  1892  the  constitution  was 


SERMONS. 

again  revised.  Mr.  Johnson's  resignation  was  accepted 
September  27,  1869,  when  resolutions  of  the  most  favorable 
character  were  adopted  commending  Brother  Johnson  and 
his  work,  also  that  of  Mrs.  Johnson. 

Rev.  Asher  Moore  served  from  December  14,  1869,  to 
March  27,  1871.  Rev.  J.  M.  Paine  began  November  13,  1871, 
serving  to  November  25,  1872.  Rev.  J.  J.  Twiss  served 
from  January,  1873,  to  April  i,  1875.  December  I,  1875, 
Rev.  L.  P.  Blackford  began  one  of  the  longest  pastorates  in 
the  history  of  the  society,  serving  as  pastor  to  February, 
1884,  a  period  of  eight  years  two  months.  Rev.  S.  G.  Davis 
was  next  called  to  take  up  the  work  as  pastor  on  the  first 
Sunday  in  May,  1884,  resigning  June  21,  1886,  but  continued 
to  supply  the  pulpit  for  some  time. 

On  May  22,  1887,  Rev.  G.  W.  Jenkins  began  a  happy 
pastorate,  which  terminated  with  his  death,  which  occurred 
Sunday,  October  16,  1892.  During  his  administration 
January  I,  1890,  found  the  society  actually  free  from  debt, 
and  it  was  then  resolved  not  to  incur  a  debt  again. 

On  May  i,  1893,  Charles  A.  Bidwell  began  his  labors, 
which  continued  to  July  31,  1895.  The  first  Sunday  in 
January,  1896,  Rev.  Marion  Crosley  became  pastor,  which 
relation  existed  until  October  i,  1898.  On  September  i, 
1899,  the  present  pastorate  began. 

At  Greeneville  Congregational  Church  on  Sunday 
morning,  Rev.  C.  H.  Ricketts  preached  a  church  historical 
sermon,  which  was  heard  with  much  interest.  He  said: 

This  section  of  "the  Rose  of  New  England,"  still 
retaining  the  old  name  of  Greeneville,  came  into  existence 
about  the  year  1828.  It  was  in  this  year  that  the  Water 
Power  company  was  incorporated  with  a  capital  of  $43,000 
for  the  purpose,  as  the  old  records  say,  "of  building  a  dam 
and  canal  in  order  to  bring  the  waters  of  the  Shetucket 
river  into  manufacturing  use."  William  P.  Greene,  from 
whom  the  village  evidently  derived  its  name,  was  the  largest 
stockholder  and  the  moving  spirit. 


NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

He  had  previously  purchased  the  land  known  in  those 
days  as  Sachem's  Plain,  extending  from  the  junction 
of  the  Shetucket  and  Quinebaug  rivers,  on  both  sides,  for 
the  distance  of  three  miles. 

Immediately  the  old  Shetucket  dam  was  built  of  solid 
masonry,  and  a  canal  dug  forty-five  feet  wide,  nine  feet  deep, 
and  seven-eighths  of  a  mile  in  length.  The  old  Shetucket 
cotton  mill  was  the  first  of  our  manufacturing  enterprises, 
to  be  followed  by  the  Chelsea  Paper  Manufacturing  com- 
pany, at  one  time  said  to  be  the  largest  paper-making 
establishment  in  the  world. 

Our  fathers  did  not  allow  great  business  enterprises  to 
crowd  out  their  religious  duties.  Religious  services  were 
held  from  the  very  beginning  of  our  community  life,  but 
definite  organization  dates  back  to  January  18,  1833,  when 
twenty  men  banded  themselves  together  as  the  Greeneville 
Ecclesiastical  society,  and  among  that  number  are  not  a 
few  that  have  had  much  to  do  in  the  material  development 
of  Norwich.  Among  the  number  who  signed  that  first  call 
are  Samuel  Morey,  William  H.  Coit,  Benjamin  Durfey, 
Oliver  Woodworth,  Nathan  Sears  and  Nathan  P.  Avery. 
There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  at  the  same  time  steps 
were  regularly  taken  to  form  a  Congregational  church  in 
this  newly  settled  community,  for  the  names  of  the  original 
or  charter  members  are  preserved.  They  are  as  follows: 
Nathan  P.  Avery,  Eunice  A.  Avery,  afterward  the  wife  of 
Harland  Hyde ;  Mary  Avery,  William  H.  Coit,  Mrs. 
Cornelia  E.  Coit,  Noah  Davis,  Jonathan  R.  Davis,  Mrs. 
Mary  (Cornin)  Davis,  Benjamin  Durfey,  Ardelia  E.  Durfey, 
Harvey  Lathrop,  Mary  M.  Lathrop,  Octavia  Lathrop, 
Samuel  Morey,  Wilson  Potter,  Mrs.  Cynthia  Potter,  Asa 
Peck,  Mrs.  Lydia  Peck,  Walter  O.  Pearl  and  Mrs.  Esther 
Pearl. 

It  naturally  followed  that  provision  should  be  made 
for  a  sanctuary  and  parsonage.  Accordingly,  between  the 
years  1833  and  1835  a  meeting  house  and  a  parsonage 
were  built.  The  church  was  first  known  as  the  Fourth 
Congregational  church  of  Norwich,  but  after  the  abandon- 


SERMONS.  193 

ment  of  the  Third  church  in  1842,  it  received  the  latter  name 
in  the  order  of  organization,  although  its  locality  has  forced 
upon  it  the  name  of  the  Greeneville  Congregational  church. 

According  to  the  records  of  January  18,  1833,  Samuel 
Morey,  William  H.  Coit,  and  Benjamin  Durfey  were  con- 
stituted the  first  committee  of  the  Ecclesiastical  society  to 
engage  a  pulpit  supply,  and  Rev.  Dennis  Platt  was  secured 
for  the  ensuing  three  months,  but  probably  remained  to  the 
close  of  the  year  1833. 

At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  society  held  in  January, 
1834,  a  call  was  given  to  the  Rev.  John  Storrs  of  Williman- 
tic,  who  accepted  and  labored  one  year.  During  1835  and 
1836  the  pulpit  was  supplied  for  the  most  part  by  the  Rev. 
Spencer  Beard,  but  in  1837  a  call  was  extended  to  the  Rev. 
Stephen  Crosby,  but  owing  to  a  period  of  financial  depres- 
sion the  installation  was  deferred  and  his  death  oc- 
curred before  it  was  effected.  Next  came  Rev.  A.  L. 
Whitman,  who  remained  until  1846.  For  ten  years  the 
spiritual  affairs  of  the  village  were  in  the  able  and  faithful 
hands  of  the  Rev.  C.  P.  Bush,  whose  daughter  is  endeared 
to  us  through  our  missionary  aid  to  her  work  in  India.  At 
the  close  of  his  labors  in  1856,  Rev.  Robert  P.  Stanton  was 
called,  and  his  pastorate  of  twenty-three  years  is  the  longest 
in  the  history  of  the  church.  It  was  a  period  marked  by 
great  material  and  spiritual  prosperity,  the  church  building 
being  enlarged  in  1867,  and  the  present  pipe  organ  provided 
in  1876. 

Mr.  Stanton  closed  his  labors  in  the  year  1880,  and  the 
same  year  marked  the  installation  of  the  Rev.  Andrew  J. 
Sullivan.  In  1888,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Simms  entered  on  his 
work  as  pastor,  which  he  faithfully  carried  on  till  1892, 
the  year  in  which  the  Rev.  Lewis  Barney  accepted  the 
pastorate.  During  Mr.  Barney's  term  of  service  extensive 
repairs  were  made  upon  the  church  property  at  a  consider- 
able cost. 

The  present  pastorate  began  in  1897  and  is  the  second 
longest  in  the  history  of  the  church.  During  this  time  be- 
tween four  and  five  thousand  dollars  have  been  raised 


194  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

toward  the  liquidation  of  our  church  debt,  the  parsonage 
has  been  improved,  and  the  church  and  ecclesiastical  society 
have  been  legally  consolidated.  The  early  records  contain 
such  names  as  Samuel  Morey,  Oliver  Woodworth,  Benjamin 
Durfey,  William  H.  Coit,  William  P.  Greene,  Nathan  P. 
Avery,  Rufus  Sibley,  David  Torrance,  and  others  who  have 
shown  that  the  ministry  of  this  church  has  not  been  in  vain 
in  the  production  of  men  of  character. 

During  these  seventy-six  years  of  history,  our  com- 
munity has  been  signally  blessed  of  God,  and  still  this  period 
has  been  marked  by  many  serious  events  which,  to  our 
imperfect  understanding,  are  regarded  as  calamities. 

The  most  serious  blow  that  ever  came  to  our  Sunday 
school,  by  way  of  the  loss  of  life,  was  on  April  13,  1844, 
when  four  young  lads  met  a  terrible  death  by  the  explosion 
of  a  powder  magazine  near  the  corner  of  Boswell  avenue  and 
the  present  Hickory  street.  If  one  were  to  enumerate  those 
who  have  lost  their  lives  or  were  seriously  injured  in  these 
factories,  the  list  would  be  a  long  one,  containing  the  names 
of  some  of  our  leading  families.  Notwithstanding  all  this, 
as  a  church  and  as  a  community,  we  have  abundant  reason 
for  thanking  God  for  his  "loving  kindness  and  tender 
mercy."  If  we  are  grateful  for  the  past,  the  reasons  are 
strong  why  we  should  enter  heartily  into  the  25oth  anni- 
versary celebration  of  our  town. 

At  the  Taftville  Congregational  Church,  Sunday  morn- 
ing, Rev.  Donald  B.  MacLane,  pastor,  gave  an  address  on 
"Indian,  English  and  Bible  Names,"  saying,  in  part,  as 
follows : 

I.  Indian  Names.  There  are  many  Indian  names  in 
the  vicinity,  and  this  fact  shows  that  the  land  was  once  the 
home  of  the  Indians. 

Our  three  rivers  are  the  Yantic,  the  Shetucket  and  the 
Quinebaug — all  Indian  names. 

Then  there  is  Wauregan  and  Mohegan  and  Occum, 
and  Mystic  and  Niantic,  and  Narragansett  and  Connecticut. 
In  Taftville  we  have  the  Wequonnoc  school  and  the 
Ponemah  mill. 


SERMONS.  195 

Mr.  MacLane  went  on  to  show  how  not  only  around 
Norwich  but  all  over  the  country  the  land  is  full  of  Indian 
names.  Lakes  and  rivers  and  cities  and  states — almost 
half  the  states  bear  Indian  names. 

The  Indians  have  disappeared,  but  their  beautiful, 
picturesque  names  will  stand  forever  a  monument  to  their 
memory.  And  every  Indian  name  reminds  us  that  our 
land  was  first  the  home  of  the  Indians. 

II.  English  Names.  One  finds  many  English  names, 
too.  And  every  English  name  reminds  us  that  the  first 
white  settlers  of  our  land  came  from  England. 

So  we  have  Norwich,  named  after  Norwich  in  England ; 
the  Thames  and  New  London,  named  after  the  old  Thames 
and  the  old  London  in  England. 

In  the  state  of  Connecticut,  east  of  the  Connecticut 
river,  all  the  following  towns  are  named  after  places  in 
England;  Norwich,  New  London,  Colchester,  Preston, 
Andover,  Bolton,  Coventry,  Mansfield,  Stafford,  Willington, 
Ashford,  Canterbury,  Hampton,  Woodstock,  Enfield,  East 
Windsor,  Manchester,  Glastonbury,  Marlborough,  Portland, 
Chatham. 

And  if  we  looked  further  afield  through  the  country  at 
large  we  would  find  the  same  thing  true;  thousands  of 
places  in  the  United  States  bear  second-hand  names  bor- 
rowed from  England. 

Our  land  indeed  is  a  New  England ;  England  is  the  great 
mother  country  of  America.  A  Yankee  is  an  Englishman 
after  all,  for  the  Indians  tried  to  say  "English"  when  the 
white  men  came,  and  the  nearest  they  could  get  to  it  was 
"Yankee."  So  the  word  "Yankee"  is  an  Indian  corruption 
of  the  word  "English."  And  the  land  of  America  is  a  first 
cousin  of  the  land  of  England. 

The  United  States  always  has  been  and  always  will  be 
predominately  English  in  language,  in  government,  in  civ- 
ilization and  in  character.  The  red  rose  is  the  national 
flower  of  old  England.  And  our  city  of  Norwich  is  the 
Rose  of  New  England. 


196  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

III.  Bible  Names.  There  are  many  places  in  the 
neighborhood  that  bear  Bible  names.  For  example,  a  few 
miles  north  and  west  of  Norwich  we  find  Lebanon  and 
Goshen  and  Salem,  Bozrah  and  Hebron  and  Gilead — all 
Bible  names. 

And  if  we  looked  further  afield  we  would  find  enough 
Bible  names  in  our  country  to  make  us  think  it  was  a  New 
Palestine. 

But  Bible  names  were  given  to  people  even  more  than 
to  places.  I  made  a  careful  study  of  the  tombstones  in  the 
old  Norwich  Town  cemetery,  and  I  found  all  these  curious 
names :  Zabdiel,  Abiel,  Ezekiel,  Jabez,  Jerusha,  Hezekiah, 
Zerviah,  Asa,  Bela,  Phila,  Jedidiah,  Azariah,  Zephaniah, 
Eliphalet,  Ebenezer,  Epaphras,  Eleazer,  Phineas,  Zilpah. 

Then,  too,  I  found  that  many  of  the  ladies  in  those  old 
days  bore  names  of  Christian  virtues.  For  example,  I  found 
in  the  Norwich  Town  cemetery:  Patience,  Prudence,  Con- 
sider, Mercy,  Thankfull,  Wealthy,  Civil,  Desire,  Patia, 
Temperance. 

These  names  seem  barbarous  to  us,  but  they  seemed 
beautiful  to  them.  For  they  were  all  Bible  names.  People 
loved  their  Bible  in  those  days.  They  searched  the 
scriptures  diligently.  They  delighted  in  God's  Holy  Word. 
They  were  Pilgrims.  And  so  they  delighted  to  name  their 
children  after  the  names  of  God's  people  of  old. 

It  is  a  glory  and  a  boast  for  our  country  that  its 
founders  were  a  religious,  Christian,  God-fearing  people. 
And  if  America  is  the  best  of  lands  to-day  it  is  in  large 
measure  due  to  the  fact  that  it  was  founded  and  established 
by  a  pious  folk. 

May  our  country  prize  and  cherish  the  precious  heritage 
of  religion  bequeathed  to  us  by  our  Pilgrim  fore-fathers. 

At  Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Sunday  morn- 
ing, Rev.  Dr.  M.  S.  Kaufman  preached  on  "Methodism's 
Contribution  to  the  Higher  Life  of  Norwich,"  from  the  text 
Acts  17:6,  and  said: 

What  Christianity  was  to  the  apostolic  age  Methodism 
has  been  in  large  measure  to  modern  times.  The  Wesleys 


SERMONS.  197 

and  their  coadjutors  were  great  disturbers.  So  radical 
were  they  in  their  opposition  to  the  deadening  formal- 
ities and  the  ruinous  vices  of  the  eighteenth  century 
that  the  doors  of  the  established  church  were  shut  against 
them.  There  was  nothing  left  for  them  to  do,  as  conscien- 
tious men,  but  to  make  their  appeal  to  the  common  people 
and  to  God.  This  they  did  with  telling  effect.  While 
Methodism  flourished  in  other  parts  of  this  new  continent, 
New  England  regarded  it  as  an  intruder.  But  God  knew 
what  was  best  for  this  highly  favored  part  of  the  country  bet- 
ter than  the  early  settlers  knew.  Hence  He  granted  them  the 
rich  blessings  which  Methodism  came  to  bestow  and  in  spite 
of  much  opposition  this  branch  of  Christ's  church  made  for 
itself  a  place  of  power.  Through  its  evangelistic  spirit  and 
frequent  revivals  it  gathered  multitudes  of  converts — many 
of  whom  found  their  way  into  sister  denominations  to  be 
among  their  best  workers  and  brightest  jewels,  both  in 
pulpit  and  pew.  To  my  thought  it  is  one  of  the  highest 
honors  ever  won  by  our  beloved  church,  that  it  has  been 
able,  under  divine  inspiration,  to  do  so  much  toward  helping 
to  build  up  other  religious  communions.  This  has  been  its 
record  in  every  city  of  New  England.  In  so  far  as  I  can 
ascertain  here  in  Norwich  it  has  never  been  favored  with 
any  considerable  number  of  wealthy  people.  But  it  has  been 
greatly  honored  in  having  been  entrusted  with  those  finer 
forces  of  life — the  intellectual  and  ethical  and  spiritual 
forces.  Its  chief  contributions  to  the  good  name  and  worthy 
character  of  Norwich  have  been  to  its  higher  life. 

The  preacher  then  traced  the  origin  and  in  brief  the  his- 
tory of  the  Methodist  church  at  Norwich  Town — mother  of 
all  the  others — the  first  church  at  the  landing,  which  was 
finally  carried  off  down  the  river  in  a  terrific  storm — the 
Sachem  street,  East  Main,  Greeneville,  Central  and  Trinity. 
For  many  years  there  were  five  Methodist  churches 
here — manned  by  faithful,  godly,  useful  ministers,  who 
preached  with  power  the  glorious  doctrines.  Revivals  were 
frequent.  Our  pulpits  have  always  stood  for  evangelical 
truth  and  experience — for  piety,  deep,  genuine,  practical. 


198  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

They  have  thundered  against  error,  against  low  and  degrad- 
ing practices  and  all  forms  of  demoralizing  amusement, 
against  human  slavery  and  the  shameful  ravages  of  intem- 
perance. Their  unswerving  fealty  to  high  Biblical  stand- 
ards aided  in  toning  up  the  moral  and  spiritual  ideals  of  the 
town.  Through  their  Sunday  schools  and  young  people's 
organizations,  their  love  feasts,  class  meetings  and  prayer 
meetings  and  family  worship  they  mightily  impressed  for 
noble  character  the  children  and  youth  of  their  homes. 
From  all  that  has  been  thus  far  pointed  out  it  is  evident  that 
Methodism  has  made  large  and  valuable  contributions  to 
the  higher  life  of  this  town.  Let  us  remember  that  the 
greater  the  blessings  bestowed  upon  us  by  our  Methodist 
ancestors,  the  heavier  is  the  responsibility  resting  upon  us  to 
hand  down  to  our  successors  not  only  unimpaired  but 
enhanced  in  value  our  splendid  heritage. 


LETTERS  FROM  ABSENTEES. 

Among  the  replies  from  absent  sons  and  daughters 
received  by  the  Committee  on  Invitations  the  following 
were  printed  in  the  Norwich  Bulletin: 

Washington,  D.  C. 
Mr.  William  H.  Shields,  Norwich,  Conn.: 

Dear  Sir: — Being  a  native  of  Norwich,  and  too  feeble 
to  attend  the  coming  celebration,  I  respectfully  solicit  one 
of  the  beautifully  illustrated  invitations  of  the  25oth  anni- 
versary of  Norwich  Town,  the  dearest  spot  on  earth  to  me, 
which  I  wish  to  have  framed  and  hung  beside  a  picture  of 
my  mother. 

I  was  born  at  Bean  Hill,  June  26,  1823.  My  parents 
were  Capt.  Thomas  D.  Winship  and  Philas  Yale  Winship, 
his  wife. 

In  my  childhood  I  used  to  visit  my  father's  aunt,  Mrs. 
Barrett,  who  lived  aside  from  the  main  road  to  Bean  Hill. 
Adjoining  their  home  was  a  field  where  I  romped  and 
played.  A  lone  grave  was  there  and  I  used  to  visit  it  with 


LETTERS.  199 

childish  sympathy  as  aunt  told  me  "A  man  was  buried  there 
years  ago."  I  thought  he  was  without  friends  or  home  or 
he  would  have  been  buried  in  the  cemetery,  and  it  was  not 
until  I  heard  a  memorial  was  to  be  placed  there  did  I  know 
it  was  the  grave  of  the  heroic  John  Mason,  who  fought  in 
the  first  war  of  the  colonies.  All  honor  to  the  patriotic 
citizens  of  Norwich  for  commemorating  his  memory.  I 
would  like  to  lay  a  fresh  garland  of  flowers  on  his  monu- 
ment in  my  eighty-seventh  year,  as  I  did  on  his  lone  grave 
in  childhood,  if  I  could  be  there. 

Hoping  the  weather  will  be  propitious  and  the  celebra- 
tion a  success, 

I  am  yours  respectfully, 

Mrs.  Sarah  F.  Woodworth. 

506  Rhode  Island  Avenue. 

San  Francisco,  Cal.,  June  16,  1909. 

Mr.  William  H.  Shields,  Chairman  of  the  Invitation  Com- 
mittee, Norwich,  Conn. : 

My  Dear  Sir: — I  am  in  receipt  of  your  invitation  to 
attend  on  the  5th  and  6th  proximo  the  25oth  anniversary 
of  the  founding  of  the  town  of  Norwich  and  the  I25th  of 
the  incorporation  of  the  city.  In  reply  I  will  say  that  I 
regret  exceedingly  that  I  will  be  unable  to  be  present  on 
this  occasion,  as  it  would  certainly  give  me  great  pleasure 
to  be  present. 

Having  spent  my  young  boyhood  days  in  and  about 
Norwich,  I  have  and  always  will  have  a  kind  feeling  in 
my  heart  for  the  old  town,  and  while  I  have  been  all  over 
the  continent  and  in  other  countries  as  well  I  have  as  yet 
never  met  a  place  that  I  have  the  same  kind  feeling  for 
that  I  have  for  Norwich. 

Trusting  that  you  may  have  a  successful  gathering 
upon  this  occasion,  I  am, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

J.  F.  Farley. 


2OO  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Portland,  Oregon, 
"The  Rose  City  of  the  West." 

June  15,  1909. 

William   H.    Shields,   Chairman   of   Invitation    Committee, 
Norwich,  Conn.: 

Dear  Mr.  Shields : — Acknowledging  receipt  of  your 
city's  invitation  to  be  present  at  the  I25th  anniversary  of 
the  incorporation  of  the  city  of  Norwich,  permit  me  to  most 
gratefully  thank  you  for  the  kind  remembrance  that  once, 
in  the  long,  dreamy  past,  it  was  my  pleasure  to  call  your 
beautiful  city  my  home. 

The  engraving  upon  your  invitation   awakens   pleasant 
memories   of  childhood,   as  when 

"Lulled  in  the  countless  chambers  of  the  brain, 
Our  thoughts  are  linked  by  many  a  hidden  chain ; 
Awake  but  one  and  lo !  what  myriads  rise, 
Each  stamps  his  image  as  the  other  flies." 
The  beautiful  engraving  appeals  to  memory  so  strongly 
that  it  seems  but  yesterday  that,  together  with  dear  old 
"cronies,"  we  were  swimming  in  the  river  and  hunting  for 
pigeons  in  the  old  wooden  railroad  bridge  that  crossed  the 
river  to  the  West  Side;  and  with  Longfellow  I  can  feel- 
ingly say: 

"How  often,  oh,  how  often, 
In  the  days  that  have  gone  by, 
Have  I  stood  on  that  bridge,"  etc. 

But  that  was  forty  years  ago,  and  many  old  school- 
mates and  friends  have  looked  their  last  upon  the  "chang- 
ing seasons,"  yet  in  memory's  casket  friendship's  jewels 
still  reflect  the  splendors  of  long  ago. 

There  is  one  tie  that  binds  me  to  your  beautiful  city 
that  is  sacred  above  all  others;  it  is  the  one  connecting 
link — the  only  surviving  member  of  our  family — my  own 
dear  sister,  who  has  been  a  resident  there  for  over  forty 
years.  Is  it  any  wonder,  then,  that  Norwich  is  so  dearly 
remembered? 

Permit  me  to  wish  you  a  most  enjoyable  reunion  and 
to  express  again  most  feelingly  my  admiration  for  the 
artistic  engraving  on  the  invitation  that  has  awakened 


LETTERS.  2O I 

such  a  flood  of  pleasant  memories  of  the  almost  forgotten 
past. 

Here's  to  the  Rose  of  New  England. 
May  her  sweetness  perfume  the  lives  of  her  children ! 
Very  sincerely  yours, 

E.  L.  E.  White. 

Rotterdam,  Holland, 

June  25,    1909. 

Hon.   William   H.   Shields,   Chairman   of  Invitation   Com- 
mittee,   Norwich,    Conn. 

Dear  Sir: — It  is  with  much  pleasure  that  I  acknowl- 
edge, though  tardily,  the  receipt  from  you  of  the  hand- 
some invitation  card  presenting  me  on  behalf  of  the 
citizens  of  old  Norwich  with  the  freedom  of  their  city  next 
month;  and  it  is  with  much  greater  regret  that  I  realize 
the  impossibility  of  my  being  with  you  all.  I  use  the  pro- 
noun their  in  this  connection,  but  although  not  a  resident 
of  the  old  place  for  many  years  I  feel,  whether  rightly  or 
wrongly,  that  I  have  an  equal  ownership  with  its  citizens. 

Although  I  immigrated  over  twenty-eight  years  ago,  I 
find  that  with  me  "absence  makes  the  heart  grow  fonder," 
and  the  hills,  woods  and  rivers  of  the  old  town,  with  its 
green,  and  its  ancient  houses,  and  the  newer  part  with  its 
attractive  streets  and  residences,  appear  in  my  recollection 
more  and  more  beautiful  with  each  passing  year. 

The  thought  just  now  occurs  to  me,  do  those  of  you 
who  have  "staid  by"  the  old  town  fully  appreciate  its  beau- 
ty? How  often  do  you  look  into  the  old  burying  ground 
at  Norwich  Town,  climb  Meeting  House  Rocks  or  wander 
along  the  little  Yantic?  But  the  prodigal  son  will  remember 
all  such  spots  and  on  his  return  will,  like  Stedman  looking 
for  his  brook,  search  out  his  old  haunts. 

So  here's  to  the  Rose  which  has  never  faded;  may  her 
beauty  and  fragrance  never  grow  less  and  many  happy 
returns  of  the  day  for  her. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Chas.  N.  Almy. 


2O2  NORWICH   QUARTER  MILLENNIUM. 

Robert  College,  Constantinople,  Turkey, 

June  21,  1909. 
Mr.  William  H.  Shields,  Norwich,  Conn. : 

Your  kind  invitation  to  visit  Norwich  at  the  celebra- 
tion of  its  25oth  anniversary  has  just  reached  me.  Nothing 
could  give  me  greater  pleasure,  but  distance  forbids. 

I  cannot,  however,  help  writing  a  word  to  express  my 
love  for  the  dear  old  town,  and  my  thankfulness  that  it  was 
the  home  of  my  childhood.  I  love  to  recall  the  Meeting 
House  Rocks,  up  town,  and  other  rocky  ridges  over  which 
we  boys  used  to  roam  with  endless  pleasure.  And  when 
in  later  years  I  have  revisited  the  old  home  I  have  often 
asked  myself:  "Is  any  other  town  quite  equal  to  Norwich, 
in  its  combination  of  picturesque  variety  of  scenery  with 
shaded  streets  and  charming  homes?" 

Above  all  it  is  a  joy  to  think  how  many  people  have 
dwelt  here  who  were  worthy  of  such  a  home — men  and 
women  of  thought,  of  honor,  of  refinement,  of  patriotism, 
of  practical  Christian  character.  Whatever  may  be  true  in 
other  lands,  I  am  sure  that  in  America  the  best,  most  char- 
acteristic life  of  the  nation  is  to  be  found,  not  in  the  great 
cities  so  much  as  in  the  smaller  towns.  As  a  lover  of  my 
country  I  should  be  willing  to  have  any  cultured  foreigner 
visit  Norwich  and  form  his  opinion  of  America  from  that 
town. 

In  the  new  century  upon  which  we  have  entered,  may  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  Norwich  realize  that  no  town  can 
live  upon  its  past;  and  that  the  way  to  keep  its  laurels 
green  is  for  all  to  observe  the  Christian  precept,  "By  love, 
serve  one  another." 

Very  truly  yours, 

Henry  S.  Huntington. 

Durango,  Colorado. 

Hon.  William  H.  Shields,  Chairman  of  the  Invitation  Com- 
mittee, Norwich,  Conn.: 

Dear  Judge: — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  the  invitation  to  come  home  and  join  in  the  cele- 


LETTERS.  2O3 

bration  of  the  25oth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  Norwich 
and  the  I25th  anniversary  of  the  incorporation  of  the  city 
of  Norwich. 

I  have  delayed  this  acknowledgment,  hoping  that  it 
would  be  possible  for  my  family  (my  wife  and  daughter) 
and  myself  to  accept  the  invitation  and  be  present  in  person, 
but  fate  and  over  2,500  miles  distance  prevent,  and  we  must 
be  content  to  be  present  in  spirit  only.  I  remember  very 
well  the  1859  celebration  and  was  on  the  float  of  The 
Norwich  Bulletin,  in  the  procession,  making  myself  useful, 
and  afterwards  partook  of  the  good  things  in  the  large  tent 
on  the  lot  west  of  the  Norwich  Free  Academy.  As  a  boy 
of  13  years,  with  red  blood  in  his  veins,  I  did  not  miss 
much,  and  I  have  a  very  fair  recollection  of  what  occurred. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Richard  M'Cloud. 


NOTES 

ON 

Persons    and    Places 

IN  THE 

ANCIENT  TOWN  OF  NORWICH 

IN 

CONNECTICUT. 

Prepared  for  the 

Two  hundred  and  fiftieth 

Anniversary  of  the  Town,  and  of  the  City 

The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth, 

July  4th,  5th  and  6th, 

1909. 

The  Committee  on  History,  in  compiling  these  notes, 
acknowledge  their  obligations  to  Miss  Caulkins's  "History 
of  Norwich,"  Miss  Perkins's  "Old  Houses  of  Norwich,"  and 
to  Stedman's  History  of  the  Bi-centennial  Celebration,  to 
which  those  desiring  further  information  are  referred. 

The  Committee  greatly  regret  that  their  work  is  not 
free  from  errors.  They  regret  still  more  that  because  of 
limited  space  and  lack  of  time  for  preparation,  many  note- 
worthy names  do  not  appear  in  these  pages. 

The  Founders  of  Norwich. 

[The  numbers  correspond  with  numbers  on  markers  in  localities  referred  to.] 

1  DEACON  THOMAS  ADGATE.     1659.     Born  about 

1620;  died  1707.  One  of  those  appointed  to  "dignify 
the  pues."  His  house  was  on  north  end  of  Low- 
thorpe  Meadows. 

2  ROBERT    ALLYN.      1659.       "First  constable  in  the 

Town."    Died  1683,  at  Allyn's  Point. 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  2O5 

3  WM.  BACKUS.    1659.    Died  soon  after  the  settlement. 

His  home-lot  was  next  north  of  Thomas  Bliss  from 
Washington  street  to  the  river.  Father  of  Stephen 
Backus. 

4  LIEUT.  WM.  BACKUS,  JR.     1659.     He  styled  him- 

self "yeoman,"  but  was  known  successively  as  ser- 
geant, ensign  and  lieutenant. 

5  JOHN  BALDWIN.    1659.    Constable  in  1696.    Ances- 

tor of  Judge  Simeon  E.  Baldwin,  of  New  Haven. 
Home-lot  on  West  Town  street  near  the  river. 

6  DEACON  THOMAS  BINGHAM.     1659.    Born  1642; 

died  1730.  Home-lot  on  West  Town  street  above 
Thomas  Waterman  and  extending  to  the  river. 

7  JOHN   BIRCHARD.     1659.     Born    1628;   died    1702. 

First  schoolmaster.  Home-lot  on  West  Town  street 
opposite  Samuel  and  William  Hyde. 

8  THOMAS   BLISS.     1659.     Died    1688.     Home-lot  on 

Washington  street  adjoining  John  Reynolds.  His 
house  is  still  standing. 

9  MORGAN    BOWERS.      1659.      Home-lot    on    West 

Town  street  adjoining  John  Post. 

10  JOHN  BRADFORD.     1659.     Son  of  Governor  Brad- 

ford, of  Plymouth.  Townsman  in  1671.  Home-lot 
on  East  Town  street  west  of  Huntington  lane. 

11  DEACON  HUGH  CAULKINS.     1659       Born    1600; 

died  1690;  one  of  the  most  useful  men  of  his  time. 
Home-lot  on  West  Town  street. 

12  JOHN    CAULKINS.     1659.     Born    1634;   died    1703. 

Active  in  town  affairs.  Home-lot  on  West  Town 
street. 

13  RICHARD    EDGERTON.      1659.        Died    in     1692. 

Townsman  and  constable. 


2O6  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES 

14  REV.  JAMES  FITCH.     1659.     Born  1622;  died  1702. 

First  pastor  of  First  Church  in  Norwich ;  held  the 
office  fifty-six  years.  Called  by  Cotton  Mather,  "the 
holy,  acute  and  learned  Mr.  Fitch."  Home-lot  from 
Simon  Huntington  to  the  river. 

15  JOHN  GAGER.     1659.     Died  1703.    Constable  in  1674 

and  1688.  He  was  son  of  William  Gager,  "a  right 
godly  man  and  skillful  chyrurgeon." 

16  LIEUT.  FRANCIS  GRISWOLD.     1659.     Born  1622; 

died  1671.  Represented  the  town  in  the  General 
Court  in  eleven  sessions.  Home-lot  on  West  Town 
street. 

17  CHRISTOPHER    HUNTINGTON.       1659.        First 

townsman.  Died  1691.  One  of  the  most  useful  of 
the  pioneers.  Home-lot  on  Washington  street  cor- 
ner of  East  Town  street. 

18  DEACON    SIMON    HUNTINGTON.       1659.      Born 

1629;  died  1706.  Townsman  in  1690  and  1696.  Home- 
lot  on  south  side  of  East  Town  street  west  of  Lieut. 
Thomas  Tracy. 

19  SAMUEL  HYDE.      1659.      Died  1677.     Home-lot  on 

north  side  of  West  Town  street  above  the  rocks. 

20  WM.  HYDE.     1659.     Died  1682.    Townsman  in  1673 

and  1679.    Home-lot  on  West  Town  street. 

21  THOMAS  HOWARD.     1659.     Slain  at  the  Narragan- 

sett  fort  fight  in  1675.  Home-lot  on  north  side  of 
West  Town  street  below  Bean  Hill  church. 

22  LIEUT.  THOMAS  LEFFINGWELL.      Born  about 

1622;  died  after  1714.  Home-lot  located  on  the  cor- 
ner of  the  present  Washington  street  and  Harland 
road.  House  occupied  by  D.  M.  Torosian  in  1909. 
Leffingwell  was  famous  for  bringing  relief  to  Uncas 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  2O7 

when  he  was  besieged  by  the  Narragansetts.  Repre- 
sented the  town  in  fifty-six  sessions  of  the  General 
Court. 

23  MAJOR  JOHN  MASON.     1659.       Born  in  England; 

died  in  Norwich  1672.  Deputy  Governor  of  Colony 
of  Connecticut.  Distinguished  among  the  Founders 
of  Norwich.  In  his  hand  the  sword  of  the  Lord  was 
mighty  against  the  savage  Pequots.  Firm  friend  of 
Uncas  and  the  Mohegans.  Valiant  soldier;  wise 
counsellor.  Home-lot  corner  of  Town  street  and 
New  London  turnpike. 

24  DR.  JOHN  OLMSTEAD.      1659.      Born  about  1626; 

died  1686.  The  first  doctor  in  the  town.  Home-lot 
where  the  Gilman  family  live,  at  380  Washington 
street. 

25  JOHN  PEASE.     1659.     "A  sea  faring  man."    Home- 

lot  the  last  on  West  Town  street  at  the  river  cross- 
ing. 

26  JOHN  POST.     1659.     Born  1626;  died  1710.    Home- 

lot  on  West  Town  street  next  above  Thomas  Bing- 
ham. 

27  THOMAS    POST.       1659.       Died    1701.      Constable. 

Home-lot  on  West  Town  street  adjoining  John 
Gager. 

28  JOSIAH    READ.       1659.       Died    1717.      Constable. 

Home-lot  on  Washington  street  east  of  the  Coit 
Elms. 

29  JOHN  REYNOLDS.      1659.     Died  1702.    His  dwell- 

ing, on  Washington  street,  is  one  of  the  oldest  in 
Norwich.  Home-lot  included  Backus  Hospital 
grounds. 

30  JONATHAN  ROYCE.     1659.     Died  1689.    Home-lot 

on  West  Town  street  between  Allyn  and  J.  Tracy. 


2O8  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES 

31  REV.  NEHEMIAH  SMITH.    1659     Born  about  1605 ; 

died  1686.  Home-lot  on  West  Town  street  north 
side  opposite  T.  Post. 

32  SERGEANT    JOHN    TRACY.       1659.       Died    1702. 

Home-lot  on  south  side  of  West  Town  street  between 
John  Baldwin  and  John  Pease. 

33  LIEUT.    THOMAS    TRACY.       1659.       Born    about 

1610;  died  1685.  Home-lot  on  East  Town  street  ad- 
joining Christopher  Huntington.  One  of  the  most 
distinguished  of  the  Founders  of  Norwich.  He  and 
John  Mason  were  witnesses  of  the  deed  of  Unkos, 
Owaneco,  and  Attawanhood  granting  nine  miles 
square  to  the  inhabitants  of  Norwich,  for  the  sum  of 
seventy  pounds.  First  representative  to  the  General 
Court. 

34  ROBERT  WADE.      1659.      Date  of  birth  and  death 

unknown.  Home-lot  south  side  of  West  Town  street 
between  John  Birchard  and  John  Gager. 

35  SERGEANT  THOMAS  WATERMAN.     1659.    Born 

1644;  died  1708.  Home-lot  on  West  Town  street  ad- 
joining John  Mason.  Youngest  of  the  Founders, 
sixteen  years  of  age.  He  represented  the  town  in  the 
General  Court  in  1679. 


Other  Early  Settlers. 

36  CALEB  ABELL.  Died  Aug.  7,  1731.  Three  of  this 
name  are  found  at  an  early  period  among  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Norwich — Caleb,  Benjamin  and  Joshua. 
Caleb  married  in  July,  1669,  Margaret,  daughter  of 
John  Post.  Robert  Wade  transferred  to  Caleb  Abell 
his  house  lot,  Town  street.  It  was  located  between 
John  Birchard  and  Morgan  Bowers.  He  was  chosen 
constable  1684;  townsman  1689;  appointed  to  keep 
tavern  in  1694. 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  209 

Gen.  Elijah  Abell,  a  gallant  officer  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  born  in  Norwich,  was  a  descendant  of 
Caleb  Abell. 

37  RICHARD    BUSHNELL.       Was    born    September, 

1652;  died  1727.  Came  to  Norwich  with  his  step- 
father, Thomas  Adgate.  Married  in  1672,  Elizabeth 
Adgate.  In  the  earlier  part  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
Richard  Bushnell  was  one  of  the  most  noted  and 
active  men  in  Norwich.  He  performed  the  duties  of 
townsman,  constable,  schoolmaster,  poet,  deacon, 
sergeant,  lieutenant  and  captain,  town  agent,  town 
deputy,  court  clerk,  and  justice  of  the  peace.  His 
dwelling  was  on  the  Montville  road  a  mile  south  of 
the  city. 

38  SAMUEL  LATHROP.      Died   Feb.   29,   1700.     Was 

son  of  Rev.  John  Lathrop,  of  London ;  came  with  his 
lather  to  America  in  1634  when  about  fourteen  years 
of  age.  He  married  at  Barnstable,  Mass.,  Nov.  28, 
1644,  Elizabeth  Scudder.  He  was  a  house  carpenter, 
and  came  to  Norwich  in  1668.  He  had  nine  children 
by  his  first  wife.  His  second  wife,  Abigail  Doane, 
survived  him  and  lived  to  the  age  of  103  years. 

39  JOHN  ELDERKIN.     Died  June  23,  1687.    Elderkin's 

earliest  grant  at  Norwich  was  in  1667,  and  was  con- 
veyed in  1668  to  Samuel  Lathrop.  The  next  was  at 
the  old  landing  place  below  the  Falls,  where  he  built 
a  grist-mill  for  the  convenience  of  the  town.  Here 
for  a  long  course  of  years  stood  the  mill  and  the 
miller's  house.  Elderkin  built  the  second  meeting- 
house for  the  town.  Of  his  first  wife  nothing  is 
known.  His  second  wife  was  Elizabeth,  relict  of 
William  Gaylord,  of  Windsor. 

40  STEPHEN  GIFFORD.     Born  about  1641 ;  died  1724. 

He  was  an  early  settler  and  is  classed  as  a  proprietor 
by  Miss  Caulkins.  Constable  in  1686.  His  home-lot 


2IO  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES 

extended  from  Mediterranean  lane  to  the  chapel  of 
First  Congregational  church. 

41  CHRISTOPHER  HUNTINGTON,  JUNIOR.      Born 

1660;  died  1735.  "The  first  born  of  males  in  Nor- 
wich." Son  of  Christopher  Huntington  the  Founder. 
A  man  of  the  highest  character,  and  a  prominent 
contributor  to  the  prosperity  of  the  most  vital  inter- 
ests of  the  town.  For  near  forty  years  he  "used  the 
office  of  a  deacon  well."  Town  Clerk  1678  to  1691. 

42  ELIZABETH  HYDE.      Born  August,   1660;  died  at 

Lyme,  1736.  Daughter  of  Samuel  and  Jane  (Lee) 
Hyde,  the  first  child  of  English  parentage  born  in 
Norwich.  Married,  in  1682,  Richard  Lord,  of  Lyme. 

43  COL.    CHRISTOPHER    LEFFINGWELL.        Born 

1734;  died  1810.  Pioneer  paper  manufacturer.  Sol- 
dier and  patriot  in  the  Revolution.  Prominent  citi- 
zen. 

44  MAJOR  JAMES  FITCH.     James  Fitch,  Jr.,  was  born 

in  Saybrook,  1647;  died  1727;  married  (i)  1676, 
Elizabeth  Mason,  married  (2)  1687,  Mrs.  Alice  (Brad- 
ford) Adams.  During  his  residence  in  Norwich  "he 
took  a  leading  part  in  all  town  affairs,  and  served  as 
land-surveyor,  registrar,  captain  of  the  train-band, 
and  commissioner  of  boundaries."  In  i6gS-'gg  he 
sold  his  house  and  home-lot  to  Samuel  and  Simon 
Huntington,  and  later  made  his  home  in  Canterbury. 
His  home-lot  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  town  Green, 
and  his  house  probably  stood  south  and  near  to  the 
present  residence  of  Wallace  S.  Allis. 


Other  Prominent  Men  of  Early  Times. 

45     GOVERNOR     SAMUEL     HUNTINGTON,  LL.  D. 

Born  1731 ;  died  1796.    Representative  in  Legislature 
1764  and   Senator    1773;  Associate  Judge   Supreme 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES  211 

Court  of  Connecticut  1774;  member  of  Congress 
1775-1780;  member  of  the  Marine  Court;  signer  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence ;  President  of  Con- 
gress 1779-1781  and  1783;  Chief  Justice  of  Connecti- 
cut 1784;  Lieutenant-Governor  1785;  Doctor  of  Laws, 
Yale  College,  1779;  Governor  i786-'96. 

46  BENJAMIN   HUNTINGTON,   LL.  D.       Born    1736; 

died  Oct.  16,  1800.  Graduated  at  Yale  1761 ;  mar- 
ried, daughter  of  Col.  Jabez  Huntington,  of  Wind- 
ham  ;  State  Counsellor  during  Revolutionary  War ; 
director  of  battery  built  on  Waterman's  Point  1775 ; 
agent  of  colony  to  purchase  the  "Spy,"  bought  to 
watch  British;  superintended  building  of  the  "De- 
fence" 14  gun  brig,  1776;  representative  from  Nor- 
wich 1775;  member  Continental  Congress  1784  and 
of  Constitutional  Congress  1789;  Judge  Superior 
Court  1793;  LL.B.  from  Dartmouth  College  1782; 
moved  to  Rome,  N.  Y.,  1796.  His  body  was  brought 
to  Norwich  for  burial.  First  Mayor  of  Norwich, 
1784  to  1796. 

47  BENEDICT  ARNOLD.      Born,  Norwich,  1741;  died 

in  London,  1801.  General  in  the  Revolutionary  army. 
Distinguished  for  his  heroism  at  Quebec,  Lake 
Champlain,  Ridgefield,  and  Saratoga.  Detested  for 
his  treason  and  for  the  burning  of  New  London.  The 
house  where  he  was  born,  on  east  side  of  Washington 
street,  below  LaFayette  street,  was  destroyed  sixty 
years  ago. 

48  AARON  CLEVELAND.     The  Aaron  Cleveland  house 

is  now  standing  on  West  Town  street  at  Bean  hill 
next  below  the  Meeting-house.  Here  Aaron  "carried 
on"  the  hat  business,  and  at  the  same  time  wrote 
poems,  essays,  lectures,  and  sermons  upon  all  sub- 
jects of  the  day,  social,  political  and  religious.  Aaron 
was  great-grandfather  of  Grover  Cleveland  (see  No. 
78). 


212  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

49  WILLIAM  CLEVELAND.     Died  in  1837.    Rev.  Ben- 

jamin Lord  purchased  the  Mason  home  lot  and  erect- 
ed a  house  on  the  site,  next  to  the  Johnson  home. 
This  was  his  residence.  This  property  was  held  by 
the  Lord  heirs  until  1830,  when  it  was  sold  to  Wil- 
liam Cleveland,  grand-father  of  the  President.  Wil- 
liam built  a  shop  east  of  the  house  where  he  carried 
on  the  business  of  a  gold  or  silversmith.  This  dwell- 
ing house  was  burned  in  1852  (see  No.  79). 

50  DR.  PHILIP  TURNER.     Born  in  Norwich  1740;  died 

in  New  York  in  1815  and  was  buried  in  St.  Paul's 
church  yard.  Surgeon-general  in  the  Revolutionary 
army.  He  was  highly  distinguished  for  his  profes- 
sional skill. 

51  JOSEPH  TRUMBULL.     The  eldest  son  of  Governor 

Trumbull,  and  the  first  Commissary  General  Conti- 
nental Army.  In  1778  bought  the  property  between 
the  present  residence  of  A.  W.  Dickey  and  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Kelley. 

52  DIAH  MANNING,  1760-1815.     Drum-major  of  Wash- 

ington's Body  Guard.  He  carried  to  Major  Andre 
his  breakfast,  on  the  day  of  his  execution,  bringing 
it  from  the  table  of  General  Washington.  House  on 
Town  street,  corner  Old  Cemetery  lane. 

53  REV.  BENJAMIN  LORD,   D.D.      He  was  born  at 

Saybrook,  Conn.,  in  1694,  and  died  at  Norwich  in 
1784.  For  sixty-seven  years  pastor  of  the  First 
Church  in  Norwich.  He  was  graduated  at  Yale  in 
1714  and  received  the  degree  of  D.D.  in  1774. 

54  DR.  SOLOMON  TRACY.     Born  in  1650;  died  in  1732. 

He  was  a  youth  at  the  settlement  of  the  town.  In 
addition  to  the  duties  of  his  profession  he  served  the 
town  as  representative  in  the  General  Assembly  and 
as  lieutenant  in  the  train-band. 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  213 

55  MADAM    KNIGHT    (Mrs.    Sarah    Kemble    Knight). 

Was  born  in  Boston  in  1666  and  died  in  New  London 
in  1727.  The  greater  part  of  her  life  was  spent  in 
New  London  and  Norwich,  where  she  stood  high  in 
social  rank  and  was  respected  both  in  church  and 
civil  affairs.  In  1717  the  town  of  Norwich  granted 
her  liberty  "to  sitt  in  the  pue  where  she  use  to  sitt  in 
ye  meeting-house."  A  silver  tankard  which  she  pre- 
sented to  the  church  is  still  preserved.  She  was  re- 
markable for  her  versatile  gifts  and  is  remembered 
by  her  journal  of  a  journey  alone  on  horseback,  from 
Boston  to  New  York,  in  1704. 

56  GENERAL  ANDREW  HUNTINGTON.    Born  1745; 

died  1824.  John  Elderkin  sold  land  on  East  Town 
street  to  Samuel  Lothrop,  who  built  a  house  upon  it 
soon  after  1668.  Portions  of  his  house  were  probably 
incorporated  in  the  present  building  now  owned  by 
Mr.  Fitch  which  was  constructed  about  1740,  by 
Joshua  Huntington  (1608-1745).  See  No.  61.  Com- 
missary General,  judge  and  merchant.  Lived  in  this 
house  from  1766  until  his  death. 

57  SIMON  HUNTINGTON,  JUNIOR.      Born  1659 ;  died 

1736.  In  i688-'8£  Simon  Huntington,  the  proprietor, 
granted  land  on  East  Town  street  to  his  son,  Simon, 
who  held  many  civil  offices,  was  deacon  of  the  church 
from  1696  to  1736,  and  in  1706  opened  "a  house  of 
public  entertainment."  Captain  Joseph  Carew  prob- 
ably used  parts  of  the  house  built  by  Simon  Hunt- 
ington, Jr.,  when  he  constructed  in  i782-'83  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Mr.  Kelly.  Joseph  and  Eunice 
Carew  Huntington  and  their  children  occupied  this 
house  until  1854. 

58  HON.  JABEZ  W.  HUNTINGTON.     Born  1788;  died 

1847.  United  States  Senator  from  1840  to  1847,  lived 
in  the  Simon  Huntington  house  (see  No.  57)  after 
his  marriage  in  1833  to  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Hunt- 


214  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES 

ington.  "A  statesman  of  unbending  integrity  and 
unswerving  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  the  Union." 

59  GENERAL     JEDIDIAH     HUNTINGTON.        Born 

1743;  died  1818.  Fought  at  Bunker  Hill  and  in  many 
of  the  most  important  battles  of  the  Revolution.  He 
entertained  both  Washington  and  Lafayette  in  the 
house  on  the  corner  of  East  Town  street  and  Hunt- 
ington  lane.  He  married  in  1766  Faith  Trumbull,  the 
daughter  of  the  famous  war  governor.  After  the  war 
he  held  many  important  positions  and  in  1789  was 
appointed  collector  of  customs  at  New  London  and 
held  the  office  until  his  death. 

60  GENERAL    EBENEZER    HUNTINGTON.       Born 

1754;  died  1834.  Was  the  half  brother  of  Jedi- 
diah.  After  Jedidiah  removed  to  New  Lon- 
don his  house  was  occupied  by  Ebenezer.  He  left 
Yale  College  when  the  war  commenced  and  served 
until  the  troops  were  disbanded  in  1783.  In  1810  and 
in  1817  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Congress.  Major 
General,  Conn,  militia,  over  thirty  years.  His  four 
unmarried  daughters  were  "the  Ladies  Huntington." 

61  COLONEL  JOSHUA  HUNTINGTON.       Born  1751 ; 

died  1821.  Married  in  1771  Hannah,  daughter  of  Col. 
Hezekiah  Huntington.  He  was  in  business  at  the 
Landing,  but  at  the  call  to  arms  he  followed  his 
brothers  in  giving  himself  to  the  service  of  his  cpun- 
try.  He  was  high  sheriff  of  New  London  county 
and  had  charge  of  the  first  United  States  census 
(1790)  in  this  region.  He  lived  in  the  house  on 
Huntington  lane  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Theodore  F. 
McCurdy. 

62  GENERAL   JABEZ    HUNTINGTON..    Born    1719; 

died  1786.  Graduated  at  Yale  College  1741.  "The 
house  in  the  lane"  is  to-day  practically  unaltered  from 
its  condition  when  it  was  occupied  by  General  Jabez 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  215 

Huntington,  who  as  the  head  of  the  Connecticut 
troops  did  much  for  American  freedom.  It  surely  in- 
cludes a  portion  or  the  whole  of  the  house  of  his  father, 
the  first  Joshua  Huntington,  and  may  include  the  house 
built  by  the  founder,  John  Bradford.  General  Jabez 
Huntington  was  the  father  of  Jedidiah,  Andrew, 
Joshua,  Ebenezer  and  Zachariah.  "If  the  annals  of  the 
Revolution  record  the  name  of  any  family  that  con- 
tributed more  to  that  great  struggle,  I  have  yet  to  learn 
it." 

63  COLONEL  JOHN  DURKEE.  Born  in  Windham 
1728;  died  May  29,  1782.  Leader  of  500  men  who 
compelled  Ingersoll  to  resign  the  office  of  stamp  mas- 
ter for  Connecticut.  Colonel  at  Long  Island,  Harlem, 
White  Plains,  Trenton  and  Monmouth.  He  was  in 
Sullivan's  Indian  expedition.  Durkee's  tavern  at 
Bean  hill  was  "opposite  the  home-lot  of  Mr.  Samuel 
Abell."  He  was  known  as  "the  Bold  Bean  Killer." 


Meeting  Houses  and  Burying  Grounds. 

64  The  first  meeting-house  stood  near  the  southeast  cor- 

ner of  the  Green  "with  the  open  Common  around  it." 
Of  its  erection  there  is  no  record.  It  was  probably 
built  by  a  "general  turn-out  of  the  inhabitants."  In 
1668  a  small  rate  was  collected  to  pay  Samuel 
Lathrop  "for  repairing  the  Meeting-house."  It  was 
in  use  only  twelve  or  fourteen  years.  Opposite 
present  Norwich  Town  postoffice. 

65  In  1673  tne  town  contracted  with  John  Elderkin  to  build 

"forthwith  a  new  meeting-house."  The  building  com- 
mittee were  Deacon  Hugh  Calkins,  Ensign  Thomas 
Leffingwell,  Ensign  Thomas  Tracy,  Simon  Hunting- 
ton  and  William  Backus.  It  was  completed  in  two 
years.  Elderkin  contracted  to  build  it  for  £428. 
This  building  was  repaired  and  a  "leanto"  added,  in 


2l6  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

which  several  new  pews  were  made.  These  improve- 
ments being  completed  in  March,  1698,  five  of  the 
oldest  and  most  respected  inhabitants  were  directed 
"to  seat  the  people  with  due  regard  to  rank."  The 
site  of  this  second  meeting-house  was  on  the  summit 
of  the  hill.  It  was  to  serve  as  a  watch-tower,  and  a 
garrison  post,  as  well  as  a  house  of  worship. 

66  December  6,  1709,  a  vote  was  passed  to  build  a  third 

meeting-house,  the  dimensions  not  to  exceed  55  feet 
by  45,  to  be  modeled  by  a  committee  of  the  church, 
and  completed  by  March  I,  1712.  This  building  was 
on  the  rocks  near  the  site  of  the  second  meeting- 
house. John  Elderkin,  2d,  son  of  the  old  church 
builder,  was  the  architect.  It  was  completed  in  De- 
cember, 1713.  A  vote  was  passed  to  sell  the  old 
edifice,  which  had  lasted  forty  years. 

67  The  site  of  the  fourth  meeting-house  was  at  the  corner 

of  the  Green,  under  the  rocks,  where  the  present 
church  stands.  It  is  said  to  have  been  a  "squar  build- 
ing, with  a  front  porch  or  platform,"  with  doors  on 
three  sides.  It  was  voted  for  in  1748,  but  was  not 
begun  until  1753;  it  remained  unfinished  for  several 
years.  It  was  completed  in  1770.  On  the  7th  of 
February,  1801,  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  with  several 
other  buildings.  The  present  building,  the  fifth  meet- 
ing-house, was  built  partly  by  subscription  and  partly 
by  a  lottery. 

68  POST-GAGER  BURIAL  GROUND,  1661.     In   1661 

the  town  bought  this  land  for  a  common  burial-place. 
Many  of  the  proprietors  and  early  settlers  were  in- 
terred in  this  "regular  oblong  plot,"  n  rods  long  and 
7  wide.  The  last  interment  was  in  1740.  In  1872  the 
present  monument  was  erected  to  the  memory  of 
Major  John  Mason  and  the  other  proprietors.  It  is 
on  West  Town  street,  half  a  mile  above  the  Up-town 
Green.  No  traces  of  graves  remain. 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

69  ENTRANCE  TO  OLD  BURYING  GROUND,  1699. 

At  Norwich  Town  through  Old  Cemetery  lane  near 
the  corner  of  Town  street  (the  River  road),  and  the 
Up-town  Green;  a  portion  of  the  home-lot  of  Rev. 
James  Fitch. 

70  ENTRANCE  TO  THE  OLD  BURYING  GROUND, 

1796.  On  East  Town  street,  adjacent  to  the  Governor 
Huntington  house,  through  the  Hubbard  gates,  in- 
scribed by  Faith  Trumbull  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  with 
names  of  soldiers  of  the  Revolution  buried  within.  A 
portion  of  the  home-lot  of  Simon  Huntington. 


Public  Buildings. 

71  COURT  HOUSE,  1762.    In  1735  the  first  court  house 

was  erected  on  the  south  side  of  the  parsonage  lot. 
In  1762  a  new  one  was  built  on  the  Green  near  the 
present  watering  trough.  This  was  moved  across  the 
street  in  1798  near  the  present  school,  used  until  1833 
when  courts  were  moved  to  the  landing,  and  then 
used  as  a  school  building  until  1891. 

72  TOWN  AND  COURT  HOUSE,  1829.    Built  on  north 

side  of  Church  street.    Burned  April  n,  1865. 

73  JAIL,  1759.    First  jail  was  at  southeast  corner  of  Green. 

About  1759  a  new  one  was  built  back  of  old  brick 
schoolhouse.  This  was  burned  in  1786  and  rebuilt 
and  used  until  1815. 

74  JAIL,  1815.    A  third  location  was  chosen  in  1815,  when 

the  Perit  house  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Green  was 
purchased  for  the  county  house,  and  a  jail  was  built 
on  the  adjoining  lot  a  short  distance  back  of  where 
the  store  now  stands.  This  lasted  until  the  courts 
were  moved  to  the  Landing,  in  1833. 

75  OFFICE  OF  TOWN  CLERKS.    The  first  Town  Clerk 

was  John  Birchard.     We  have  no  record  of  his  ap- 


2l8  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES 

pointment.  He  was  in  office  eighteen  years.  Chris- 
topher Huntington,  appointed  1678,  was  in  office  until 
his  death,  1691.  Richard  Bushnell,  1691,  for  seven 
years.  Christopher  Huntington,  Jr.,  1698,  for  four 
years.  Richard  Bushnell  again  in  1702,  in  office  for 
twenty- four  years.  Isaac  Huntington  1726,  till  his 
death,  1764.  Benj.  Huntington  1764,  in  office  nearly 
two  years.  Benj.  Huntington,  son  of  Isaac,  1765,  in 
office  thirteen  years.  Samuel  Tracy  1778,  in  office 
one  year.  Benj.  Huntington,  1779,  in  office  until  his 
death,  1801.  Philip  Huntington  1801,  until  his  death 
in  1825,  and  his  son,  Benjamin,  born  1798,  was  in 
office  nearly  continuously  until  1830. 

76  DUDLEY  WOODBRIDGE'S  STORE.  Dudley  Wood- 
bridge,  in  1774,  purchased  of  Ebenezer  Lord  his  house 
and  shop  on  the  Green,  north  and  next  to  where  the 
present  chapel  stands.  He  sold  goods  of  every  de- 
scription, groceries,  shoes,  dress  goods,  hardware,  etc. 
In  1782,  the  first  post-office  was  established,  in  Nor- 
wich, Dudley  Woodbridge  was  the  first  postmaster, 
and  held  the  office  until  1789.  The  mails  had  pre- 
viously been  delivered  by  post  riders.  Mr.  Wood- 
bridge  removed  to  Ohio  in  1789  or  1790. 

In  1790,  Gurdon  Lathrop  occupied  this  store,  as  a 
general  trader.  In  1791,  it  was  sold  to  Joseph  Hunt- 
ington and  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Joseph 
Carew.  After  October,  1800,  the  business  was  car- 
ried on  by  the  firm  of  Joseph  and  Charles  P.  Hunting- 
ton.  On  February  7th,  1801,  this  store  and  the  meet- 
ing-house with  several  other  buildings  were  burned. 
The  Huntington  Brothers  moved  their  goods  to  the 
store  "a  few  rods  N.  E.  from  the  Court  House."  In 
August  they  moved  to  the  large,  new  brick  store, 
which  they  had  had  built  on  the  site  of  the  old  Wood- 
bridge  shop.  This  building  is  now  the  chapel  of  First 
Congregational  Church. 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

77  TRACY  &  COIT'S  STORE.    About  1780,  Uriah  Tracy 

and  Joseph  Coit  leased  from  Thomas  Leffingwell 
land  upon  which  they  built  a  shop  50  x  32,  in  which 
they  carried  on  for  many  years  an  extensive  business. 
It  was  a  long  gambrel-roofed  one-story  and  half 
structure.  Uriah  Tracy  bought  in  1790  the  Benedict 
Arnold  house,  where  he  lived  until  his  death.  Tracy 
&  Coit's  store  was  one  of  the  representative  stores  of 
Norwich. 

78  AARON  CLEVELAND   SHOP.     This  building  for- 

merly stood  the  next  but  one  below  the  meeting- 
house, Bean  hill.  It  was  the  shop  of  Aaron  Cleve- 
land in  which  he  carried  on  the  business  of  hat 
making.  It  was  moved  across  the  road  and  is  now 
known  as  "Adam's  Tavern."  President  Cleveland 
was  his  great-grandson  (see  No.  48). 

79  WILLIAM  CLEVELAND  SHOP.    This  building  was 

the  one  used  by  William  Cleveland  as  a  goldsmith 
shop,  1830-1837.  It  stood  between  the  schoolhouse 
and  the  Johnson  home  facing  the  Green  (see  No.  49). 

80  BRICK  SCHOOL  HOUSE.  On  Norwich  Town  Green. 

Founded  by  Doctor  Daniel  Lathrop  in  1783.  Now 
occupied  by  the  Noah  Webster  Literary  Associa- 
tion. 

81  BRICK  SCHOOL  HOUSE.     On  Washington  street. 

Built  in  1789.  The  first  school  attended  by  Lydia 
Huntley  (Mrs.  Sigourney).  Now  used  by  the  School- 
house  Club. 

82  LEFFINGWELL  ROW.    Sometimes  called  "the  long 

shop,"  built  by  Christopher  Leffingwell  about  1780, 
was  burned  in  1882  with  the  red  store  adjoining.  Its 
position  near  the  fork  of  the  roads  opposite  the  resi- 
dence of  General  Edward  Harland  made  it  a  con- 
spicuous land  mark.  It  was  occupied  at  different 


22O  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

times  by  Leffingwell's  stocking  factory,  various  small 
shops,  by  the  Judge  of  Probate  and  by  the  post-office. 

83  THE  TEEL  HOUSE,  "Sign  of  General  Washington." 

Built  for  a  hotel  in  1789  on  Chelsea  Parade;  after- 
wards occupied  for  a  school  by  William  Woodbridge, 
now  the  parsonage  of  Park  church,  for  many  years 
the  residence  of  Gen.  William  Williams,  who 
was  distinguished  for  his  benevolence  and  for 
his  interest  in  the  Mohegan  Indians.  He  and  his  wife, 
Harriet  Peck  Williams,  gave  five  acres  now  the 
grounds  of  the  Norwich  Free  Academy,  and  she 
founded  the  Peck  Library  now  in  the  Slater  Memorial 
Building.  He  was  born  in  1788  and  died  in  1870. 

Early  Industries. 

84  STOCKING  WEAVING.     The   business  of  weaving 

stockings  was  begun  in  1766  by  Christopher  Leffing- 
well  with  two  or  three  looms.  In  1791  nine  looms 
were  in  operation  producing  1,200  to  1,500  pairs  of 
hose  annually. 

85  GRIST  MILL.    A  grist  mill  built  by  John  Elderkin  at 

No  Man's  Acre  about  1661 ;  was  removed  about  1667 
under  agreement  with  the  town,  to  the  Yantic  river 
below  the  Falls,  and  a  large  tract  of  land  was  granted 
to  him  as  compensation  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Indian 
burying  place  on  Sachem  street. 

86  IRON  WORKS.    The  first  iron  works  were  established 

at  Yantic  in  1750  by  Elijah  Backus.  He  manufac- 
tured bloom  and  bar  iron  for  anchors,  mills  and  other 
uses.  The  Backus  Iron  Works  obtained  great  repute 
and  during  the  Revolutionary  War  all  kinds  of  iron 
work  for  domestic  uses  and  warfare  were  made  and 
repaired  here. 

87  POTTERY.    A  pottery  was  established  in  1766  at  Bean 

Hill  and  continued  in  operation  far  into  the  igth  cen- 


XOTES  OX  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  221 

tury.  Specimens  of  this  pottery  are  among  the  treas- 
ured possessions  of  some  of  the  old  residents  of  Nor- 
wich. 

88  LINSEED  OIL  MILLS.    The  first  linseed  oil  mill  was 

established  at  Bean  Hill,  in  1748,  by  Hezekiah  Hunt- 
ington,  and  at  a  later  period  the  manufacture  was 
carried  on  extensively  at  the  Falls. 

89  COTTON  MILL.     A  cotton  mill  was  established  by 

Joshua  Lathrop  in  1790  on  Lowthorpe  Meadows  with 
one  carding  machine,  five  jennies  and  six  looms.  This 
machinery  was  gradually  increased  and  a  great  va- 
riety of  goods  manufactured.  In  1793  the  firm  was 
Lathrop  &  Eells. 

90  CHOCOLATE  MILL.    The  first  chocolate  mill  was  es- 

tablished in  1770  by  Christopher  Leffingwell  on  the 
Yantic  flats  below  the  Falls.  In  1772  Simon  Lathrop 
erected  another.  This  industry  was  of  considerable 
importance. 

91  PAPER  MILL.    In  1766  Christopher  Leffingwell  began 

to  manufacture  paper  at  his  mill  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Yantic  above  the  Falls,  near  what  are  now  called 
Paper  Mill  rocks.  This  was  the  first  paper  mill  in 
Connecticut.  The  annual  output  was  about  1,300 
reams. 

92  CLOCKS    AND    WATCHES.      Clocks    and    watches 

were  manufactured  by  Thomas  Harland  in  1773.  He 
employed  ten  or  twelve  hands  and  made  annually 
two  hundred  watches  and  forty  clocks,  which  were 
pronounced  equal  to  any  imported  from  England. 

93  FULLING  MILL.    A  fulling  mill  with  clothier's  shop 

and  dye  house  went  into  operation  near  the  present 
site  of  the  Falls  mill  in  1773. 


222  NOTES  OX  PERSONS  AND  PLACES 

Taverns. 

94  Caleb  Abel,  the  third  innkeeper  of  Norwich,  probably 

came  from  Dedham ;  he  bought  the  Wade  lot  in  1677 ; 
was  constable  in  1684,  townsman  in  1689,  and  often 
thereafter;  enrolled  among  the  dignitaries  with  title 
of  Sergeant  in  1702;  married  Margaret,  daughter  of 
John  Post,  1669,  and  after  her  death  married  Mary 
Loomer;  died  Aug.  7,  1731.  He  was  appointed  inn- 
keeper under  date  of  Dec.  18,  1694,  as  follows :  "The 
towne  makes  choise  of  caleb  abell  to  keep  ordinari  or 
a  house  of  entertainment  for  this  yeare  or  till  another 
be  choosen." 

95  Deacon  Simon  Huntington,  the  first  of  four  successive 

generations  of  deacons,  was  the  second  innkeeper  of 
Norwich.  He  was  married  to  Sarah,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Clarke,  of  Saybrook,  in  October,  1653;  ap- 
pointed innkeeper  1690;  died  1706,  leaving  an  estate 
valued  at  275  pounds,  including  a  library  of  fourteen 
or  fifteen  volumes,  of  the  value  of  about  30  shillings, 
which  we  are  told  was  probably  a  fair  library  for  a 
layman  at  that  time. 

96  Joseph  Reynolds,  son  of  John  Reynolds,  the  Founder, 

kept  the  ordinary  in  1709.  He  was  born  in  Norwich, 
March,  1660;  married  Sarah  Edgerton  1688. 

97  Thomas  Waterman,  born  1644,  came  to  Norwich  in 

1659  with  John  Bradford,  whose  wife's  nephew  he 
was;  only  townsman  in  1675,  '81,  '84;  made  a  freeman 
in  1681 ;  died  June  i,  1708;  buried  in  Society  Burial 
Ground.  He  was  appointed  innkeeper  in  1679. 
"Agreed  and  voted  by  ye  town  yt  Thomas  Waterman 
is  desired  to  keep  the  ordinary.  And  for  his  encour- 
agement he  is  granted  four  akers  of  paster  land 
where  he  can  conveniently  find  it  ny  about  the  valley 
going  from  his  house  to  the  woods." 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  223 

98  Eleazer  Lord's  tavern  on  the  corner  of  Town  street  and 

the  New  London  turnpike  was  built  about  1770  and 
for  many  years  was  frequented  by  the  lawyers  who 
came  to  Norwich  to  attend  court. 

99  Joseph  Peck's  tavern  on  the  east  side  of  the  Green, 

overshadowed  by  a  large  elm  tree,  among  whose  cen- 
tral boughs  an  arbor  was  formed  and  seats  arranged, 
to  which  on  public  days  friendly  groups  resorted  and 
had  refreshments  served — a  plank  gallery  being  ex- 
tended from  a  window  of  the  house  to  the  bower  as 
a  means  of  access. 

100  Thomas  Leffingwell,  the  fourth  innkeeper  of  Norwich, 
was  given  liberty  to  keep  a  "publique  house  of  enter- 
tainment of  strangers"   in    1700.     This  tavern  was 
continued  for  more  than  100  years,  and  was  at  the 
east  end  of  the  town  plot,  and  was  a  noted  place  of 
resort  in  war  times.    Married  Mary  Bushnell,  Sept., 
1672;  died  March  5,   1723^24,  leaving  an  estate  of 
nearly   10,000  pounds.     The  interesting  features  of 
this  quaint  old  house,  within  and  without,  are  re- 
markably well  preserved. 

101  On  the  site  of  the  present  "J°lmson  home"  was  lo- 
cated Lathrop's  tavern.     Built  in  1737  by  Nathaniel 
Lathrop,  its  prosperity  was  maintained  by  his  son, 
Azariah.    From  here  was  started  the  first  stage  coach 
to  Providence  in  1768.    In  1829  the  property  was  sold 
to  the  Union  Hotel  Company,  who  erected  the  pres- 
ent building,  which  was  later  used  for  a  boarding 
school. 

102  Jesse  Brown's  tavern  was  erected  in  1790  and  its  pro- 
prietor established  a  stage  route  from  Boston  to  New 
York  via  Norwich.     On  August  i,   1797,  President 
John  Adams  and  wife  stopped  over  night  here.     In 
1855  the  property  was  purchased  by  Moses  Pierce, 
who  later  gave  it  to  the  United  Workers   for  the 
Rocknook  Children's  Home. 


224  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

103  It  is  said  that  Capt.  Samuel  Bailey  was  jailor  about 
1800,  and  the  accommodations  for  the  jail  were  on  the 
second  floor,  and  that  on  the  first  floor  the  captain 
kept  what  was  called,  "Cross  Keys  Tavern." 


Presidents  of  the  United  States. 

104  MILLARD  FILLMORE.     Capt.  John  Fillmore,  son 

of  John  Fillmore,  "Mariner"  of  Ipswich,  Mass. ;  born 
March  18,  1702.  He  married  Nov.  24,  1724,  Mary 
Spiller,  and  removed  to  Norwich  West  Farms;  died 
there  Feb.  22,  1777.  Capt.  John's  grandson  was 
Nathaniel,  whose  eldest  son  was  Millard,  born  Jan.  7, 
1800,  in  Summer  Hill,  N.  Y. 

105  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT.    On  the  site  of  the  house  of 

Herbert  L.  Yerrington  stood  the  original  Christopher 
Huntington  homestead.  After  the  death  of  the  first 
Christopher  this  was  inherited  by  his  son,  John  (born 
1666)  who  married  in  1686  Abigail,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Lathrop.  John  had  three  daughters  and  two 
sons.  One  daughter,  Martha,  was  married  to  Noah 
Grant,  of  Tolland,  and  became  the  ancestress  of 
Ulysses  S.  Grant. 

Martha  Huntington  married  June  12,  1717,  Noah 
Grant,  born  Dec.  16,  1693.  Their  son,  Noah,  Jr.,  born 
July  12,  1718,  married  Susannah  Delano,  Nov.  5, 
1746.  Their  son,  Noah,  3d,  born  June  20,  1748,  mar- 
ried Rachel  Kelly,  March  4,  1792.  Their  son,  Jesse, 
born  Jan.  23,  1794,  married  Hannah  Simpson,  June  24, 
1821.  Ulysses  S.  Grant  was  born  April  27,  1822. 

106  RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES.      George    Hayes    left 
Scotland  in  1680  and  settled  at  Windsor,  Conn.,  1682. 
His    great-great-great-grandson,    Rutherford    Hayes, 
settled  at  Brattleborough,  Vt.,  and  married  in  Sept., 
1813,  Sophia  Birchard.     Her  ancestry  on  the  male 
line  is  traced  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the  thirty-five 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  225 

founders  of  Norwich.  Both  of  her  grandfathers  were 
soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Rutherford 
Hayes  removed  in  1817  to  Delaware,  Ohio,  where  he 
died  five  years  later,  leaving  two  children.  On  Oct. 
4,  1822,  Rutherford  Birchard  Hayes  was  born  three 
months  after  his  father's  death. 

107  JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.    Was  descendant  of  Major 
John   Mason   and   Reverend  James   Fitch,   who  are 
recorded  among  the  founders  of  Norwich  (see  Nos. 
14  and  23). 

108  GROVER  CLEVELAND.    William  Hyde.    Samuel 
Hyde  married  Jane  Lee.    John  Hyde  married  Experi- 
ence Abel.     James   Hyde   married   Sarah   Marshall. 
Abiah  Hyde  married  Rev.  Aaron  Cleveland.     Wil- 
liam  Cleveland  married  Margaret  Falley.     Richard 
Falley  Cleveland,  born  at  Norwich,   19  June,   1805. 
He  married  Anne  Neale,  10  Sept.,  1820,  of  Baltimore. 
They  removed  to  Holland  Patent,  New  York,  where 
he  died  ist  Oct.,  1853.     Grover  Cleveland  was  born 
at  Holland  Patent,  31  July,  1835  (see  Nos.  48,  49,  78 
and  79). 

109  MRS.  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT.    Edith  Kermit 
Carow,  born  New  York,  Aug.  6,  1862,  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Gertrude  Elizabeth  (Tyler)  Carow.    She 
was  married  at  St.  George's  Church,  Hanover  square, 
London,  England,  1886,  to  Theodore  Roosevelt.    Her 
grandfather  was  General  Daniel  Tyler  of  Norwich 
(see  No.  143). 


Other  Men  of  Distinction. 

110  REV.  HIRAM  P.  ARMS,  D.  D.  Pastor  and  pastor 
emeritus  First  Congregational  church  1836-1882. 
Born  in  Sunderland,  Mass,  1799.  Died  at  Norwich 
1882. 


226  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES 

111  MAJOR-GENERAL  HENRY  WARNER  BIRGE. 

Born  in  Hartford,  Aug.  25,  1825.  Died  in  New  York, 
July  i,  1888.  In  the  war  for  the  Union  he  passed 
through  the  successive  ranks  from  Major  to  Brevet 
Major-General.  He  rendered  distinguished  services 
at  Irish  Bend,  in  the  Red  River  campaign,  and  led  the 
forlorn  hope  at  Port  Hudson,  and  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  battles  of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and 
Cedar  Creek. 

112  ISAAC  HILL  BROMLEY.    Born  Norwich,  March  6, 

1833.  Captain  i8th  Regt.  Conn.  Volunteers.  Provost 
marshal.  First  editor  Norwich  Bulletin.  Journalist. 
Humorist.  Chief  editor  New  York  Tribune  1891- 
1898.  Died  at  Norwich,  Aug.  n, 


113  HON.  WILLIAM  ALFRED  BUCKINGHAM.    Born 

in  Lebanon,  Conn.,  May  28,  1804;  died  in  1875.  Mayor 
of  Norwich  1849-1850;  1856-1857.  Presidential  elector 
1856.  Governor  of  Connecticut  1858-1866.  U.  S. 
Senator  1869-1875.  Merchant,  manufacturer,  philan- 
thropist, generous  benefactor  of  Yale  University,  the 
Broadway  Church  and  Norwich  Free  Academy. 

114  THOMAS  FANNING.    Born  at  Norwich,  Conn.,  July 

18,  1750;  died  May  24,  1812.  Soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tion. Merchant.  One  of  the  donors  of  Chelsea  Pa- 
rade 1791. 

115  LAFAYETTE  SABIN   FOSTER,  LL.D.      Born  in 

Franklin,  Conn.,  Nov.  22,  1806;  died  in  1880.  Gradu- 
ated Brown  University  1828.  Mayor  of  Norwich, 
I85i-'53-  Speaker  Connecticut  House  Representa- 
tives 1847.  United  States  Senator  1854-1866.  After 
death  of  President  Lincoln,  acting  Vice-President  of 
the  United  States.  Professor  of  Law  at  Yale  1868. 
Judge  Supreme  Court  of  Connecticut  1870-1876. 
Benefactor  of  Yale  University,  Free  Academy  and 
Otis  Library.  "Great  citizen,  incorruptible  senator, 
wise  counsellor,  eloquent  advocate,  righteous  judge." 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES 

116  DANIEL  COIT  OILMAN,  LL.D.    Born  in  Norwich, 

July  6,  1831 ;  died  in  Norwich,  Oct.  13,  1908.  Gradu- 
ated Yale  1852.  Professor  Yale  College  1856-1872. 
President  University  of  California  1872-1875.  Presi- 
dent Johns  Hopkins  University  1875-1901.  President 
Carnegie  Institution  1901-1904.  Delivered  historical 
address  at  Norwich  bi-centennial  celebration  in  1859. 

117  WILLIAM  CHARLES  OILMAN.     Born  in  Exeter, 

N.  H.,  1795 ;  died  in  New  York  1863.  Came  to  Nor- 
wich 1816.  Established  nail  factory  at  the  Falls.  Ex- 
tended cotton  manufacture  from  the  Falls  to  Greene- 
ville  and  Bozrah.  Identified  for  thirty  years  with  the 
most  important  manufacturing,  financial,  educational 
and  religious  enterprises  in  the  town.  First  president 
Norwich  and  Worcester  railroad.  Mayor  in  1839. 

118  HON.  CALVIN  GODDARD.     Born  at  Shrewsbury, 

Mass.,  1768.  Mayor  of  Norwich  1814-1831.  Judge 
Supreme  Court  1816.  Member  of  Congress  1801-1805. 
Died  in  1842.  He  lived  on  the  corner  of  Washington 
street  and  Sachem  street  and  owned  several  acres  of 
land  including  the  Indian  burying  place,  and  mill 
property  at  the  Falls. 

119  WILLIAM  PARKINSON  GREENE.    Born  in  Bos- 

ton 1795;  died  in  Norwich  1864.  He  was  graduated 
at  Harvard  in  1814;  removed  to  Norwich  in  1824; 
became  largely  interested  in  manufactures  at  the 
Falls  and  Greeneville  and  in  the  Norwich  Water 
Power  Co.  He  was  Mayor  in  1842 ;  first  president  of 
Thames  Bank ;  original  corporator  Norwich  and  Wor- 
cester railroad ;  second  president  and  liberal  benefac- 
tor of  Norwich  Free  Academy. 

120  REV.  JOHN  PUTNAM  GULLIVER,  D.D.    Born  in 

Boston  in  1819 ;  died  at  Andover,  Mass.,  1894.  Yale 
University  1840.  D.D.  Iowa  University.  President 
Knox  College.  Professor  Andover  Theological  Semi- 


228  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

nary.  Twenty  years  pastor  Broadway  Congrega- 
tional Church.  Held  in  honored  remembrance  as  chief 
promoter  of  the  Norwich  Free  Academy. 

121  RUSSELL  HUBBARD.     Born  Norwich   1785;  died 

1857.  Proprietor  of  Norwich  Courier.  Paper  manu- 
facturer at  Norwich  Falls  and  Greeneville.  A  founder 
and  vice-president  of  Norwich  Savings  Society.  First 
president  and  generous  benefactor  of  Norwich  Free 
Academy. 

122  THOMAS  STERRY  HUNT,  LL.D.     Born  at  Nor- 

wich in  1826;  died  Feb.  12,  1892.  Professor  of  chemis- 
try at  McGill  University,  i862-'68.  Prof,  of  geology 
at  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology  i872-'78. 
Presented  with  cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  at  Paris, 
1855.  Honorary  member  Royal  Society  of  London 
1859.  He  invented  a  permanent  green  ink,  first  used 
for  "'greenbacks." 

123  DEACON  JABEZ  HUNTINGTON.     Born  in  Leba- 

non, Conn.,  1767;  died  in  Norwich  1848.  He  was 
president  of  the  Norwich  Bank  and  of  the  Norwich 
Savings  Society.  He  and  Hezekiah  Perkins  bought 
the  land  now  known  as  the  "Little  Plain"  on  Broad- 
way in  1811  and  gave  it  to  the  city  for  a  park.  His 
house  is  now  Mrs.  H.  H.  Osgood's. 

124  CHARLES  JAMES  LANMAN.     Born  in  Norwich, 

June  14,  1795.  Yale  graduate  1814.  Receiver  of  pub- 
lic money  for  Michigan  1823-1831.  Founder  of  Te- 
cumseh,  Mich.  Mayor  of  Norwich  1838.  Died  in  New 
London,  July  25,  1870. 

125  JAMES  LANMAN.     Born  in  Norwich,  June  14,  1769; 

died  Aug.  7,  1841.  Yale  graduate  1788.  United 
States  Senator  1819-1825.  Judge  Supreme  Court  of 
Connecticut. 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  22Q 

126  DOCTOR  DANIEL  LATHROP.     Born  in  Norwich 

1712;  died  in  Norwich  1782.  Yale  College  1733.  St. 
Thomas's  Hospital,  London,  1737.  As  an  importer 
of  drugs  he  and  his  brother,  Joshua,  built  up  a  wide 
reputation  and  large  estates  for  their  day.  He  left 
£500  to  Yale  College;  £500  to  the  first  church  in 
Norwich,  and  £500  to  establish  a  school  on  the  Nor- 
wich Town  Green.  "Many  were  the  amiables  that 
composed  his  character." 

127  DANIEL  LATHROP.      Born    Norwich    1769;    died 

1825.  Yale  College  1787.  Was  engaged  in  the  drug 
business  in  Norwich.  Son  of  Dr.  Joshua  Lathrop. 

128  DOCTOR    JOSHUA    LATHROP.      Born    Norwich 

1723;  died  Norwich  1807.  Yale  College  1743.  Mer- 
chant; cotton  manufacturer;  public  spirited  citizen; 
one  of  the  donors  of  Chelsea  Parade  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Norwich  and  contributed  generously  for  improve- 
ment of  highways.  "He  devised  liberal  things  and 
did  them." 

129  DONALD  GRANT  MITCHELL  (Ik  Marvel).    Born 

in  Norwich  in  1822  near  present  residence  of  the 
principal  of  the  Norwich  Free  Academy.  Died  in 
New  Haven  1908.  Yale  graduate  and  valedictorian 
1841.  Distinguished  author  and  landscape  gardener. 
He  delivered  an  oration  at  the  bi-centennial  celebra- 
tion in  1859. 

130  COLONEL  GEORGE  L.  PERKINS.    Born  Norwich 

Aug.  5,  1788;  died  Sept.  5,  1888.  Paymaster  United 
States  Army,  War  of  1812.  For  fifty  years  treasurer 
of  Norwich  and  Worcester  railroad.  A  well-known 
and  prominent  citizen  of  Norwich.  In  his  great  age, 
one  hundred  years  and  one  month,  "his  eye  was  not 
dim,  nor  his  natural  force  abated." 

131  CAPT.  HEZEKIAH  PERKINS.     Born  in  Norwich 
.    1751;  died  1822.    He  and  Jabez  Huntington  gave  to 


230  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

the  city  in  1811  the  land  now  known  as  the  "Little 
Plain"  for  a  park.  He  lived  in  the  house  now  owned 
by  Mrs.  Charles  Coit. 

132  MAJOR  JOSEPH  PERKINS.    A  soldier  of  the  Revo- 

lution. Member  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  in  1814. 
Prominent  merchant ;  public  spirited  citizen.  He  with 
Thomas  Fanning  and  Joshua  Lathrop  gave  Chelsea 
Parade  to  the  inhabitants  of  Norwich  for  a  park.  He 
built  the  stone-house  on  Rockwell  street  in  1825. 

133  DR.  DWIGHT  RIPLEY.    Born  in  Windham,  Conn., 

in  1767;  died  in  Norwich,  1835.  A  descendant  of  Gov. 
Wm.  Bradford  of  Plymouth.  He  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Norwich  for  over  forty  years,  and 
built  up  a  large  wholesale  drug  trade  on  present  site 
of  Lee  &  Osgood's  store.  He  did  much  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  Norwich  and  left  a  large  family  of  sons 
and  daughters  who  are  held  in  honored  remembrance. 

134  GENERAL    ALFRED    PERKINS    ROCKWELL. 

Born  in  Norwich  1834;  died  in  Boston  1903.  Yale 
College  1855.  Professor  mining  in  Massachusetts 
Institute  of  Technology.  Rendered  distinguished  ser- 
vices in  the  war  for  the  Union,  rising  from  the  rank 
of  captain  to  Brevet-Brigadier-General,  and  serving 
at  James  Island,  Fort  Darling,  Bermuda  Hundreds 
and  Fort  Fisher. 

135  CHARLES    W.    ROCKWELL.      Born    in    Norwich 

1799;  died  in  1866.  During  his  residence  in  Norwich 
he  was  distinguished  for  his  liberality  and  public 
spirit.  In  1833  ne  built  the  mansion  on  Broadway 
afterwards  owned  by  John  F.  Slater.  He  was  inter- 
ested in  manufactures  at  Norwich  Town ;  was  four 
years  mayor  of  the  city;  was  three  times  elected  to 
the  State  Legislature,  and  was  for  several  years 
United  States  Commissioner  of  Customs  at  Wash- 
ington. 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  23! 

136  HON.  JOHN  A.  ROCKWELL.     Born  in  Norwich, 

Aug.  27,  1803;  died  in  Washington,  Feb.  10,  1861. 
Yale  graduate,  1822.  Connecticut  State  Senator. 
Judge  New  London  County  Court.  Representative 
United  States  Congress,  1845-1849.  Author  of  a  work 
on  Spanish  law.  Concerned  in  development  of  Laurel 
Hill.  At  the  bi-centennial  celebration  in  1859  he  de- 
livered an  oration  on  Major  John  Mason. 

137  HON  NATHANIEL  SHIPMAN.     Born   1773;  died 

in  Norwich  1853.  An  honored  citizen  of  Norwich. 
He  represented  the  town  repeatedly  in  the  State 
Legislature.  In  1781  he  planted  the  row  of  elm  trees 
in  front  of  General  Harland's  house  on  Sentry  Hill. 
He  it  was  who  identified  the  spot  where  Miantonomoh 
was  captured  by  Uncas,  and  when  asked  how  he  could 
remember  it,  said  "it  was  no  time  to  balk."  His  home 
was  on  the  west  side  of  Washington  street.  He  was 
father  of  Rev.  Thomas  Leffingwell  Shipman  and 
grandfather  of  Nathaniel  Shipman,  Judge  of  United 
States  Circuit  Court. 

138  MRS.  LYDIA  HUNTLEY  SIGOURNEY.  Born  Nor- 

wich, 1791 ;  died  in  Hartford,  1865.  Teacher  and 
author.  By  her  numerous  writings  in  prose  and  verse 
she  achieved  a  literary  fame  not  exceeded  by  that  of 
any  woman  in  the  country.  Her  "Letters  of  Life" 
give  charming  pictures  of  her  native  town  in  the  days 
of  her  youth.  In  early  life  she  and  Miss  Nancy  Maria 
Hyde  taught  a  school  in  the  house  now  of  B.  P. 
Bishop,  189  Broadway. 

139  JOHN  FOX  SLATER.    Born  in  Rhode  Island,  March 

4,  1815;  died  in  Norwich,  May  7,  1884.  Pro- 
prietor of  the  Slater  cotton  mills  at  Jewett  City, 
Conn.  Founder  of  the  John  F.  Slater  Fund  ($1,000,- 
ooo)  for  the  education  of  freedmen,  for  which  he  was 
presented  with  a  gold  medal  by  Congress  in  the  name 
of  the  people  of  the  United  States.  Benefactor  of 


232  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

Park  Church,  the  United  Workers  and  the  Norwich 
Free  Academy. 

140  EDMUND  CLARENCE  STEDMAN,  LL.D.     Born 

in  Hartford,  Oct.  8,  1833  >  died  in  New  York,  Jan.  18, 
1908.  Yale  University  1853.  Journalist,  poet,  man 
of  letters.  Many  volumes  of  his  poems  and  prose 
work  appeared  from  1860  to  1908.  He  lived  in  Nor- 
wich from  1839  to  1853,  his  early  home  being  with 
his  uncle,  Deacon  James  Stedman,  on  Washington 
street  near  East  Town  street. 

141  HENRY  STRONG,  LL.D.     Born  in  Norwich  1788; 

died  in  1852.  Yale  University  1806.  Declining  other 
political  honors  than  a  brief  term  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature, he  devoted  himself  to  the  practice  of  law,  in 
which  he  reached  highly  honorable  distinction. 

142  REV.  JOSEPH  STRONG,  D.D.     Born  in  Coventry, 

Conn.,  1753 ;  died  in  Norwich  1834.  For  fifty-six  years 
pastor  of  the  first  Church  in  Norwich.  By  his  mar- 
riage with  Mary  Huntington  he  was  closely  allied 
with  the  distinguished  Huntington  generals  of  the 
Revolution. 

143  GENERAL  DANIEL  TYLER.     Born  in  Brooklyn, 

Conn.,  Jan.  7,  1799;  died  Nov.  30,  1882.  West  Point 
graduate  1818.  Made  valuable  reports  on  artillery  in 
France;  was  Brigadier-General  Connecticut  Volun- 
teers, 1861 ;  commanded  at  Bull  Run ;  in  active  ser- 
vice to  1864.  He  was  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Theodore 
Roosevelt. 

144  REV.  JOHN  TYLER.     Born  in  Wallingford,  Conn., 

1742;  died  in  Norwich  1823.  Ordained  by  the  Bishop 
of  London  in  1768.  Fifty-four  years  rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Norwich.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Seth  B.  Paddock,  who  held  the  office  for  twenty-two 
years,  and  died  in  Cheshire,  Conn.,  in  1851.  His 
sons,  born  in  Norwich,  were  the  Right  Rev.  John  A. 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  233 

Paddock,  Bishop  of  Washington;  the  Right  Rev. 
Benjamin  H.  Paddock,  Bishop  of  Massachusetts ;  and 
Lewis  S.  Paddock,  M.D.,  for  fifty  years  a  physician 
in  his  native  place.  His  grandson,  the  Right  Rev. 
Robert  L.  Paddock,  is  the  Bishop  of  Eastern  Oregon. 

145  HON.  JOHN  TURNER  WAIT,  LL.D.    Born  in  New 

London  1811 ;  died  in  Norwich  1899.  State  Attorney 
for  New  London  County;  member  of  Assembly  and 
State  Senate;  member  of  Congress  1876  to  1887;  for 
over  sixty  years  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
lawyers  of  Connecticut. 

146  DAVID   AMES   WELLS,   LL.D.,   D.C.L.     Born  in 

Springfield,  Mass.,  June  17,  1828;  died  in  Norwich 
1898.  Graduate  Williams  College  1847;  Harvard 
1851.  Special  commissioner  United  States  internal 
revenue  1866-1870;  author;  political  economist;  scien- 
tist. 

JOSEPH  LANMAN.  Born  in  Norwich  in  1811;  died 
there  in  1874.  He  entered  the  United  States  Navy 
as  midshipman  in  1825,  passed  with  distinction 
through  the  successive  ranks,  notably  in  the  war  for 
the  Union,  was  made  Rear  Admiral  in  1867,  and 
retired  from  the  service  in  1872. 

RIGHT  REV.  ALFRED  LEE,  Bishop  of  Delaware. 
Born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  1807.  Died  in  Wilming- 
ton, Del.,  1887.  By  family  ties  he  was  identified 
with  Norwich,  where  his  father,  Benjamin  Lee, 
owned  a  large  estate  on  the  west  side  of  Washing- 
ton street.  His  sister,  Emily,  was  the  wife  of  Gen. 
Daniel  Tyler  (No.  143).  In  early  life  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  practiced  law  in  New  Lon- 
don county.  He  delivered  an  oration  at  the  Bi-cen- 
tennial  celebration  in  1859,  and  was  author  of 
numerous  theological  works. 

HENRY  B.  NORTON.  Born  in  Branford,  Conn.,  in 
1807.  Died  in  Norwich  in  1891.  Through  his  long 


234  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

and  successful  career  as  merchant,  manufacturer,  and 
citizen,  all  measures  for  the  development  of  material, 
religious,  and  educational  affairs  found  in  him  an 
earnest  supporter  and  generous  contributor.  A  lib- 
eral benefactor  of  the  Norwich  Free  Academy. 

HUGH  HENRY  OSGOOD.  Born  in  Southbridge, 
Mass.,  in  1821.  Died  in  Manlius,  New  York,  in  1899; 
for  sixty  years  identified  with  the  Lee  &  Osgood 
Company  and  most  of  the  other  important  business 
enterprises  in  Norwich ;  ten  years  Mayor ;  forty  years 
Treasurer  of  the  Central  School  District;  Trustee  and 
liberal  benefactor  of  the  Norwich  Free  Academy ; 
generous  supporter  of  Park  Church,  the  City  Mission, 
and  United  Workers. 

JOSEPH  OTIS.  Born  in  Norwich  in  1768;  died  there 
in  1854.  After  a  successful  business  career  in  New 
York,  he  returned  to  Norwich  at  the  age  of  seventy, 
and  founded  the  Otis  Library,  and  was  also  a  founder 
and  benefactor  of  the  Free  Academy. 


Other  Places  of  Interest. 

147  SENTRY  HILL  ROAD.    The  first  road  passed  over 

Sentry  Hill  back  of  the  house  now  owned  by  Gen. 
Harland  and  came  out  in  front  of  the  house  now 
owned  by  William  H.  Palmer.  Four  elm  trees 
\n  front  of  this  house  stand  two  on  one  side  and  two 
on  the  other  side  of  this  old  highway. 

148  MILL   LANE    (Lafayette   Street).     Was   for   many 

years  the  only  road  from  the  town  plot  to  the  old 
landing  below  the  falls. 

149  OLD  LANDING  PLACE.    The  first  settlers  landed 

at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Yantic,  below  the 
falls,  and  that  place  for  many  years  was  the  principal 
landing  place. 


NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES.  235 

150  LEXINGTON  ALARM.    In  front  of  the  Christopher 

Leffingwell  shop  No.  82  near  Sentry  Hill  stood  a  many 
branched  elm  tree,  under  which  it  is  said  the  troops 
assembled,  the  day  they  marched  to  Lexington. 

151  BEAN  HILL  (at  the  west  end  of  the  Town  Plot). 

Tradition  says  that  before  the  settlement  hungry  and 
weary  prospectors  discovered  pots  of  beans  deposited 
in  the  earth  which  furnished  them  with  a  substantial 
meal,  and  that  in  remembrance  thereof  the  inhabi- 
tants and  their  descendants  to  this  day,  all  over  the 
world,  eat  baked  beans  for  their  Saturday  night 
supper. 

152  OLD  WHIPPING  POST.     The  old  whipping  post, 

pillory  and  jail  stood  near  the  south  corner  of  the 
parsonage  lot. 

153  MOHEGAN  TURNPIKE.    The  road  to  New  London 

was  laid  out  as  early  as  1670,  but  was  little  better 
than  an  Indian  trail.  In  1792  it  was  made  a  turnpike, 
the  first  in  the  United  States,  the  funds  for  its  im- 
provement being  raised  by  a  lottery  granted  for  the 
purpose  by  the  Legislature. 

154  UNCAS    MONUMENT.      To    Uncas,    "the    ancient 

friend"  of  the  English  people,  sachem  of  the  Mohegan 
Indians,  who  sold  the  original  town  plot  to  the  first 
proprietors,  and  who  died  about  1682,  the  monument 
on  Sachem  street  was  erected  in  1842  by  the  ladies 
of  Norwich.    Others  of  the  royal  family  were  buried 
near  by.    The  gravestone  of  his  descendant,  Samuel 
Uncas,   one  of  the   last  of  the  sachems,   who   died 
before   the   Revolution,   is   preserved   in   the   Slater 
Memorial  Building  with  this  inscription: 
"For  Beauty,  wit,  for  Sterling  sense, 
For  temper  mild,  for  Eliquence, 
For  courage  bold,  for  things  Wauregan, 
He  was  the  Glory  of  Mohegan, 
Whose  death  has  Caused  great  lamentation, 
Both  in  ye  English  and  ye  Indian  Nation." 

MIANTONOMO    MONUMENT.     (See  page  30.) 


236  NOTES  ON  PERSONS  AND  PLACES. 

Historians  of  Norwich. 

FRANCES  MANWARING  CAULKINS.  Born  in 
New  London  1795 ;  died  there  in  1869.  Her  ancestry 
is  traced  to  the  early  settlers  of  Plymouth,  Mass.  Her 
early  life  was  spent  in  Norwich  where  she  was  a  pupil 
of  Lydia  Huntley  (Mrs.  Sigourney).  For  fifteen 
years  she  was  a  highly  successful  teacher  and 
manifested  unusual  talent  for  poetical  and  prose 
writing.  Her  "History  of  Norwich,"  published  in 
1845,  was  re-written  and  extended  in  1865  to  a 
volume  of  700  pages.  The  fruits  of  her  indefatigable 
researches  are  household  words  with  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  history  of  the  town. 

MARY  E.  PERKINS.  Daughter  of  Edmund  Perkins, 
a  brilliant  lawyer,  and  granddaughter  of  Francis 
Asher  Perkins,  one  of  the  grand  old  men  of  Norwich, 
will  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  for  her  invalu- 
able historical  investigations  long  after  the  last  of 
"The  Old  Houses  of  the  Antient  Town  of  Norwich," 
shall  have  disappeared  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 


PAGE 

Aiken,   William  A.,   president 

of  Otis  Library,  30 

President  of  Norwich  Nickel 
and   Brass   Company,  41 

Almy,  Dr.  Leonard  B.,  presi- 
dent Backus  Hospital,  28 

American  Revolution,  Soldiers 
of,  their  names  on  Hub- 
bard  gates,  31 

Amusement  Committee,  Nel- 
son J.  Ayling,  chairman,  59 

Appomattox,  12 

Appropriation,  $5,000  from 
town,  64 

Aspinook  Company,  40 

Automobile  parade,  87 

Automobile  Parade  Commit- 
tee, Horatio  Bigelow, 
chairman,  59 

Averill,     John     C,     treasurer 

Otis  Library,  30 

Ayling,  Judge  Nelson  J.,  chair- 
man Amusement  Commit- 
tee, 59 

Backus  Hospital,  27 

Backus,  William  W.,  founder 

of  hospital,  27 

Benefactor  of  Otis  Library,    30 
Bacon,  Leonard  W.,  family  of, 
give    land    for    Mohegan 
Park,  38 

Banks,  46 

Bard,  Charles,  gives  land  for 

Mohegan  Park,  38 

President  Norwich  Savings 

Society,  46 

Baret,  Thomas  49 

Beecher,   Henry   Ward,   Nor- 
wich "Star  Paper",  10 
Beneficent  Institutions,                 26 
Bigelow,     Horatio,     chairman 
Automobile  Committee,         59 


PAGE 

Bishop,  Mrs.  Ellen  K.,  Chair- 
man Loan  Exhibition 
Committee,  60 

Address  at  Memorial  Foun- 
tain, 89 

Bishop,  Rev.  Edwin  W.,  ad- 
dress at  Memorial  Foun- 
tain, 92 

Bliss,  The  Misses,  give  land 
for  Mohegan  Park,  38 

Bond,  Mrs.  Henry  R.,  give 
land  for  Mohegan  Park,  38 

Boswell,  Charles,  benefactor 
of  Otis  Library,  30 

Butts,  Charles  R.,  Chairman 
Finance  Committee,  58 

Brainerd  and  Armstrong 
Company,  41 

Brewer,  Arthur  H.,  president 
of  Hopkins  and  Allen 
Company,  41 

Address  at  Masonic  Temple 
corner  stone,  45 

Brewster,  Bishop  Chauncey  B.    80 

Briscoe,  Willis  A.,  president 
Thames  National  Bank,  46 

Brown,  Rev.  J.  Eldred,  mana- 
ger Huntington  Memorial 
Home,  27 

Historical  sermon  at  Trinity 
Church,  180 

Buckingham,  Gov.  William  A. 

presides  at  Bi-centennial,    11 
Tribute  to,  13 

Benefactor  of  Free  Academy,  47 

Buckingham  Memorial,  13 

Buel,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  B.,  ad- 
dress at  Memorial  Foun- 
tain, 88 

Butts,  Henry  L.,  establishes 
Chelsea  File  Works,  42 


238 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


PAGE 

Gary,  F.  W.,  president  of 
Board  of  Trade,  recom- 
mends action  in  regard  to 
celebration,  53 

Chairman  Printing  and  Pub- 
licity Committee,  59 
Bulletins  of  Board  of  Trade,    2Q 

Carey,     Rev.     Neilson     Poe, 

Park  Commissioner,  39 

Case,  James  L.,  Chairman 
Music  Committee,  GO 

Caulkins,  Frances  Manwaring, 

History  of  Norwich,          9-14 

Chandler,  Charles  E.,  Chair- 
man Literary  Exercises 
Committee,  58 

Chapman,  Charles  B.,  treas- 
urer Chelsea  Savings 
Bank,  47 

Charter,  New,  proposed  and 
rejected,  21 

Chelsea  File  Works,  42 

Chelsea  Parade,  given  to  town 
of  Norwich  by  Joseph 
Perkins,  Thomas  Fanning 
and  Joshua  Lathrop,  36 

Memorial  stone  placed  by 
Alfred  Perkins  Rockwell 
and  John  A.  Rockwell,  36 

Chelsea  Savings  Bank,  46 

Chester,  Rev.  Anson  C,  verses 
read  by  Henry  A.  Tirrell,  140 

Churches;  new  buildings,  44 

Church,  Lewis  R.,  Chairman 
Hospitality  Committee,  63 

Clapp,  Edward  T.,  author  of 
name,  "Rose  of  New 
England,"  11 

Cleveland,  Grover,  address  at 
Old  Home  Week  celebra- 
tion, 26 

Cobb,  Rev.  Joseph  F.,  histori- 
cal sermon  at  Universal- 
ist  Church,  187 

Coit,  Daniel  Tyler,  benefactor 
of  Otis  Library,  30 

Coit  Elms,  38 

Colonial  Dames  of  America, 
erect  monument  to  Leff- 
ingwell,  35 


PAGE 

Colonial     Wars,     Society    of, 
buys   Miantonomo   monu- 
ment, 33 
Committee   of   Arrangements, 

names  of  54,  55,  56 

Consolidation    of     town     and 

city  proposed,  20 

Converse  Art  Gallery,  47 

Crescent  Fire  Arms  Company,    41 


Dana,    Rev.    Malcolm    McG., 
"Norwich    in    the    Rebel- 
lion," 14 
Date  of  Celebration  appointed,     63 
Date   changed,                              64 
Daughters    of    the    American 
Revolution,    memorial    of 
French  soldiers,                     30 
Names  of  soldiers  of  Revo- 
lution,                                     31 
Marks     residences     of    the 

Huntington  generals,  32 

Fountain  on  Little  Plain,    32-88 
Decorating  Committee,  Zebu- 
Ion  R.  Robbins,  chairman,    60 
Dyer,   Charles  E.,  address  at 
Masonic    Temple    corner 
stone,  46 


Eccles,  John,  manager  Pone- 

mah  mill,  39 

Education  and  beneficence,          17 
Electric  Light,  24 

Ewing,  Rev.  George  H.,  invo- 
cation at  Up-town  Bury- 
ing Ground,  68 
Historical   sermon   at   First 

Congregational   Church,       178 
Executive    Committee,    names 

of,  58 

Proceedings  of,  63 


Fanning,  Joseph  T.,  park 
commissioner,  39 

Fanning,  Thomas,  giver  of 
Chelsea  Parade  to  town,  36 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


239 


PAGE 

Finance    Committee,    Charles 

R.  Butts,  chairman,  58 

Financial  Statement,  143 

Fire  Department,  24 

Fire     Department     drill     and 

parade,  87 

Fireworks  Committee,  Walter 

F.  Lester,  chairman,  60 

Fire  Works  on  Rogers  Hill,        87 
Fort  Sumter,  12 

Foster,  Martha  P.,  benefactor 

of  Otis  Library,  30 

Founders  of  Norwich,  Society 

of,  60 

Franklin     Street     Park     pur- 
chased by  City  in  1859,          37 
French  Soldiers  of  the  Revo- 
lution, 30 
Fuller,    Margaret    W.,    Anni- 
versary hymn,                        137 

Gale,  Col.  Charles  W.,  cashier 

Thames   National  Bank,       46 
Grand  Marshal  of  Parade,      82 
Treasurer  General  Commit- 
tee, 58 

Gallup,  Henry  H.,  president 
Crescent  Fire  Arms  Com- 
pany, 41 

Garneld,  President  Harry  A., 
address  at  Broadway 
Theater,  101 

Gilman,   Daniel   Coit,   address 

at  Norwich  Bi-centennial,      9 

Gilman,  Emily  Serena,  giver 
of  Lowthorpe  meadows,  38 

Gilman,  Maria  Perit,  buys  site 
of  Miantonomo  monu- 
ment, 33 

Gilman,  William  C.  66 

Gilman,  William  C.,  senior, 
proposed  erection  of  mon- 
ument to  Miantonomo,  33 

Goddard,  Henry  P.,  address  at 

Hubbard  gates,  32 

Goddard,  Levi  Hart  37 

Grand  Army  of  Republic,  13 

Gray,  Lloyd,  at  Leffingwell 
monument,  36 


PAGE 

Green  Company,  M.  J.  41 

Greene,  Judge  Gardiner,  sec- 
retary Johnson  Home,  29 

Greene,  James  Lloyd  9 

Greene,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William 
P.,  benefactors  of  Free 
Academy,  47 

Greer,  Rev.  Jerome,  historical 
sermon  at  Bean  Hill 
Methodist  Church,  185 

Gulliver,  Dr.  Frederic  P.,  his 

maps  of  town  and  city,          57 
Chairman       of       Historical 

Committee,  60 

Chairman    of    special    com- 
mittee for  services  at  Up- 
town Burying  Ground,          66 
Presides  at  meeting,  66-67 

Gulliver,  Rev.  Dr.  John  P., 
founder  of  Free  Academy,  47 

Harland,  Gen.  Edward,  presi- 
dent Backus  Hospital,          28 
Gives     land     for    Mohegan 

Park,  38 

Improvements     at      Sentry 

Hill,  43 

President    Chelsea    Savings 

Bank,  47 

President    Executive    Cele- 
bration Committee,  57 
Resigns  presidency,  58 
Harland,  Henry  43 
Harriman,    Dr.    P.    H.,    Park 

Commissioner,  39 

Chairman      Public      Safety 

Committee,  61 

Chairman  Procession  Com- 
mittee, 61 
Headquarters  Committee,  So- 
ciety of  Founders  of  Nor- 
wich, 60 
Historical  Committee,  Dr.  F. 

P.  Gulliver,  chairman,  60 
Hopkins  and  Allen  Company,  41 
Hospitality  Committee,  63 

Howe,   Rev.   Dr.   Samuel   H., 
president     Backus     Hos- 
pital, 28 
Invocation  at  literary  exer- 
cises,                                       100 


240 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


PAGE 

Hubbard,    Charles    L.,    presi- 
dent A.  H.  Hubbard  Com- 
pany. 41 
Hubbard,  James  L.   secretary 

A.  H.  Hubbard  Company,  41 
Hubbard  Paper  Company,  40 
Hubbard,  Russell,  benefactor 

of  Free  Academy,  47 

Huntington,  Benjamin,  resi- 
dence in  Christopher  Lef- 
fingwell  house,  43 

Huntington,  Charles  P.,  bene- 
factor of  Otis  Library,          30 
Huntington,    Jabez,    giver    of 

Little  Plain  to  City,  37,88 
Huntington,  Jedediah  26 

Huntington,  Margaret  Baret  49 
Huntington  Memorial  Home,  26 
Hunt,  Thomas  Sterry,  at  Mi- 

antonomo   monument,  33 

Hutchison,  William  48 

Industries  of  Norwich,  39 
Invitation     Committee,  Wil- 
liam   H.    Shields,  chair- 
man, 59 
Invitations  and  Badges,  140 
Invited  Guests,  Letters  from    198 

Jensen,  Mrs.  Martin  E.,  sings 
at  memorial  of  French 
soldiers,  30 

Johnson  Home,  29 

Johnson,  Oliver  L.,  manager 
of  Aspinook  Company,  40 

Kaufman,  Rev.  Dr.  M.  S., 
historical  sermon  at  Trin- 
ity Methodist  Church,  196 

Keep,  Robert  Porter  48 

Keppler,  George  A.,  designs 
historical  pageant,  80 

Kinney,  Mrs.  Sarah  T.,  ad- 
dress at  memorial  of 
French  soldiers,  30 

At  Memorial  Fountain,  94 


Lane,  Louisa  Gilman,  buys 
site  of  Miantonomo  mon- 
ument, 


33 


PAGE 

Giver  of  Lowthorpe  mead- 
ows, 38 
Lathrop  Drug  Store,                     44 
Lathrop,     Joshua,     giver     of 

Chelsea   Parade  to  town,    36 
Lothrop,  Rev.  John  38 

Learned,  Bela  Peck,  Commit- 
tee to  buy  Miantonomo 
monument,  33 

Speaks  at  Thomas  Leffing- 

well  monument,  35 

Learned,  Mary,  at  Leffingwell 

monument,  36 

Lee,  Bishop  Alfred,  address  at 

Norwich    Bi-centennial,  9 

Leffingwell  Row,  43 

Leffingwell,   Thomas  33 

Monument  to,  35 

Lester,  Frederick  W.,  directs 
music   at   Up-town   bury- 
ing ground,  67 
At  literary  exercises,                 97 
Composes   music   for   anni- 
versary hymn,                       137 
Lester,    Walter    F.,   chairman 

Fireworks  Committee,          60 
Lippitt,  Mayor  Costello,  presi- 
dent   Norwich    Hospital,      28 
Treasurer     Norwich     Sav- 
ings   Society,  46 
Chairman  Ways  and  Means 

Committee,  59 

As  Mayor  accepts  Memorial 

Fountain,  91 

Address  of  Welcome  at  lit- 
erary exercises,  100 
Literary  Exercises  Committee, 
Charles       E.       Chandler, 
chairman,  58 
At  Broadway  Theater,              97 
Little  Plain,  given  to  city  of 
Norwich      by      Hezekiah 
Perkins  and  Jabez  Hunt- 
ington,                                    37 
Loan  Exhibit,                        142-169 

Lowthorpe  Meadows,  given  by 
Emily  Serena  Gilman  and 
Louisa  Gilman  Lane,  38 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


241 


PAGE 


Lusk,  Dr.  William  Thompson, 
address  at  William  W. 
Backus  Hospital,  quoted,  28 


McCrum-Howell    Company,         42 
MacLane,  Rev.  Donald  B.,  his- 
torical sermon  at  Taftville 
Congregational    Church,      194 
Mail  service,  16 

Maplewood  Cemetery.  49 

Martin,  J.  B.,  company,  41 

Mason,  Major  John,  corner 
stone  of  monument  laid 
in  Yantic  Cemetery,  34 

Monument   erected   in   Post 

and  Gager  burying  ground,    34 
Rockwell's  address,  34 

Wait,  Meech  and  Devotion 
superintend  erection  of 
monument,  34 

Mason   Monument  Associa- 
tion incorporated,  35 
Masonic  Temple,                            45 
Meeting  House   Rocks,  given 
to    Norwich    Rural   Asso- 
ciation by  Willis  D.  Per- 
kins,                                          37 
Memorial  Fountain,  exercises 

at,  87 

Miantonomo  monument,  32 

Mitchell,  Donald  Grant,  ad- 
dress at  Norwich  Bi-cen- 
tennial,  9 

Mitchell,  John,  addresses  Cen- 
tral Labor  Union,  87 
Mohegan  Park,                               38 
Motley,  John  Lothrop,  quoted,     18 
Music    Committee,    James    L. 
Case,  chairman,                      60 


Northrop,  Rev.  Charles  A., 
address  at  memorial  of 
French  soldiers,  30 

At  Up-town  burying  ground,    73 
City  Missionary,  27 

Norton,  Henry  B.,  benefactor 

of  Free  Academy,  47 

Norton,  William  A.,  park  com- 
missioner, 39 


PAGE 

New  London  County  Tempo- 
rary Home,  29 
Nominating   Committee,   Wil- 
liam B.  Young,  chairman,     58 
Norwich,  a  cluster  of  villages,    10 
Rose  of  New  England,  11 
War  for  Union,  12 
Soldiers'  monuments,  13 
Territory  and  population,          15 
Presidential  campaigns,            16 
Consolidation  town  and  city,    20 
New  Charter,                             21 
Water   supply,                       21-22 
Street  railways,                          23 
Electric  Light,                            24 
Fire  Department,                        24 
Police  Force,                              25 
Board  of  Trade,                         25 
Beneficent  Institutions,              26 
Huntington  Memorial,               26 
United  Workers,                        27 
Backus   Hospital,                       27 
Hospital  for  Insane,                  28 
Johnson  Home,                          29 
New    London    Co.    Tempo- 
rary Home,                            29 
Otis  Library,                             29 
Daughters  American  Revo- 
lution,                                     30 
Miantonomo  monument,          32 
Uncas  monument,                      33 
Mason  monument,                    34 
Leffingwell  monument,             35 
Chelsea  Parade,                         36 
Little  Plain, 
Meeting  House  Rocks, 
Lowthorpe  meadows, 
Industries, 

Free  Academy,  47 

Norwich,  England,  49,142 

Quarter-millennium,  53 

Norwich  Board  of  Trade 
favors  Old  Home  Week 
and  Quarter  -  millennial 
celebration,  53 

Takes  action  regarding  cel- 
ebration, 53 
Norwich      Bulletin,      reports 

from,  of  the  parade,  152 

Loan  Exhibit,  169 

Sermons,  178 

Letters  from  invited  guests,  198 


242 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


PAGE 

Norwich       Compressed       Air 

Power  Company,  42 
Norwich,     England,     gift     of 

cushion,  49 
Message  of  congratulation,  142 
Norwich  Free  Academy,        17,  47 
Benefactors  of,  47 
Norwich  Hospital  for  the  In- 
sane, 28 
Norwich     Nickel    and     Brass 

Company,  41 

Norwich  Rural  Association,  37 

Norwich  Savings  Society,  46 

Notes  on  Persons  and  Places,  204 

"No  time  for  me  to  balk,"  34 

Otis.  Joseph,   founder  of  Li- 
brary, 29 
Otis  Library,  29 
Old  Home  Week  Celebration,  26 

Parade,  Civic  and  Military,      152 

Parker.  Henry  F.,  park  com- 
missioner, 39 

Parks  in  Norwich,  36 

Perkins.  Hezekiah,  giver  of 
Little  Plain  to  city,  37 

Perkins,  Joseph,  giver  of  Chel- 
sea Parade  to  town,  36 

Perkins,       Mary       E..       Old 

Houses  of  Norwich,  9 

Perkins,  Rev.  J.  Newton,  his- 
torical sermon  at  Christ 
Church,  186 

Perkins,  Willis  D.,  gives  Meet- 
ing House  Rocks  to  Rural 
Association,  37 

Pierce,  Moses,  promotes  man- 
ufacturing industries,  39 
Benefactor   of   Free   Acad- 
emy, 47 

Police  Force,  25 

Pollock,  Dr.  Henry  M.,  resi- 
dent physician  Norwich 
Hospital,  28 

Ponemah  Mill,  39 

Porter,  George  Shepard.  ad- 
dress at  memorial  of 
French  soldiers,  30 


PAGE 

Deciphers   stone   records   in 
burying  ground,  32 

Pratt.  Rev.  Dr.  Lewellyn,  ad- 
dress at  Up-town  burying 
ground,  68 

Invocation      at      Memorial 

Fountain,  88 

Reads    Stedman's   verses   at 
Literary   Exercises,  140 

Prentice.  Judge  Samuel  O., 
address  at  Broadway 
Theater,  119 

Preston,  Charles  H.,  chairman 
Transportation  Commit- 
tee, 61 

Printing  and  Publicity  Com- 
mittee, Frederic  W.  Cary, 
chairman,  59 

Procession  Committee.  Dr.  P. 
H.  Harriman,  chairman,  61 

Program  Committee,  Winslow 
T.  Williams,  chairman,  59 

Program,  The  Official,  145 

Public  Buildings,  new,  46 

Public  Safety  Committee.  Dr. 
P.  H.  Harriman,  chair- 
man, 61 

Quarter-millennial  Celebra- 
tion, 53 

Call  for  public  meeting,          54 
Signers  of  call,  54 

Committee  of  arrangements,    54 

Ray,  G.  Avery  79 

Raymond,  Gilbert  S.,  secretary 
first  public  meeting  for 
celebration,  54 

Secretary       of       Executive 
Committee,  57 

Reception  Committee,  Wins- 
low  Tracy  Williams, 
chairman,  60 

Reynolds,  Mrs.  Henry  L., 
gives  land  for  Mohegan 
Park,  38 

Ricketts,  Rev.  C.  H.,  historical 
sermon  at  Greeneville 
Congregational  Church,  191 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


243 


PAGE 

Riplev,  Hannah  Lathrop,  ad- 
dresses alumni  of  Free 
Academy,  13 

Rip  Van  Winkle.  11 

Roath.  Mrs.  Frank  A.,  pre- 
sides at  Hubbard  gates,  30 

Robbins,  Zebulon  R.,  chair- 
man Decorations  Com- 
mittee, 60 

Rockwell,  John  Arnold,  ad- 
dress at  Norwich  Bi-cen- 
tennial,  9 

Rockwell,  Dr.  John  A.,  placed 
Memorial  stone  in  Chelsea 
Parade,  36 

Gives     land     for     Mohegan 
Park.  38 

Rose  of  New  England,  10, 11 


Sayles.  Frederick  T.  66 
Schools  Committee,  Henry  A. 

Tirrell,  chairman,  61 

Sedgwick  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  13 

Sermons,  178 
Services  at  Up-town  burying 

ground,  66 

and  pages  following. 

Shannon  Building.  45 

Shannon,  James  B.  45 

Shields.  William  H.,  chairman 
Invitation  Committee,  59 

Shipman,  Arthur  Leffingwell. 
address  at  Leffingwell 
monument,  35 

At  Broadway  Theater,  108 

Shipman,     Judge      Nathaniel, 

quoted,  10, 14 

Shipman.  Nathaniel,  senior, 
identifies  place  where 
Miantonomo  was  captured  33 

Shipman,  Rev.  Thomas  Lef- 
fingwell, 34 

Singers  at  Up-town  burying 
ground,  67 

Slater  Museum,  memorial  of 
John  Fox  Slater,  47 

Slater.  William  A.,  benefactor 
of  Backus  Hospital,  27 

Address  at  its  opening,  28 


PAGE 

Honorary  president  of,  28 
Benefactor   of   Free    Acad- 
emy, 47 
Builds  Slater  Memorial,  47 
Tribute  to  his  munificence,  48 
Smith,  Elbridge  48 
Smith,  J.  Hunt,  gives  land  for 

Mohegan  Park,  38 
Soldiers'   Monument,  13 
Soldiers  of  American  Revolu- 
tion, names  of,  31 

Spaulding's  Pond,  bought  for 

Mohegan  Park,  38 

Stedman,  Edmund  Clarence. 
"The  Inland  City,"  read 

by  Rev.  Dr.  Pratt,  140 

Stedman,  John  W..  report  of 

Norwich  Bi-centennial,  9 

Sterry,  Carolyn  A.  37 

Street  Railways,  23 


Taft.    President    William    H., 

arrives  in  Norwich,  80 

Witnesses  historical  pageant,   80 
Received    at    Rockclyffe   bv 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winslow  T. 
Williams,  81 

Escorted   bv   procession    to 

Chelsea  Parade,  82 

Delivers  address  there,  82 

Holds    nublic    reception    at 
Buckingham  Memorial,  87 

Returns    to    Mr.    Williams' 

home,  87 

Sees     fireworks     from    Jail 

hill,  87 

Denarts  bv  night   train   for 

New  York,  87 

Telegraph  and  Telephone,  16 

Thames  National  Bank,  46 

Thayer.   Judge  John    M.,   see 

Johnson  Home,  29 

Thayer,  Mayor  Charles  F., 
proposed  the  Old  Home 
Week  celebration,  26 

Address  at  Hubbard  Gates,     32 
"The  Best  Citizens  of  Nor- 
wich." 48 


244 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


PAGE 

Recommends     Quarter-mil- 
lennial celebration,  53 

President       of       Executive 
Committee,  57 

Resigns  presidency,  57 

Thayer,  Rev.  W.  T.,  historical 
sermon  at  First  Baptist 
Church,  184 

Town  Hall,  new,  42 

Tirrell,  Henry  A.,  park  com- 
missioner, 39 

Principal  Free  Academy,          48 

Chairman  Schools  Commit- 
tee, 61 

Reads  Rev.  A.  G.  Chester's 
poem  at  Literary  Exer- 
cises, 140 
Tracy,  Edwin  A.,  Secretary 
Norwich  Nickel  and 
Brass  Company,  41 

Chairman  first  public  meet- 
ing for  celebration,  54 

Chairman    Executive    Com- 
mittee, 58 

Member,    ex-officio,    of    all 

sub-committees,  63 

Transportation         Committee, 
Charles  H.  Preston,  chair- 
man, 61 
Treanor,    Rev.    Hugh,    High 
Mass     at     St.     Patrick's 
Church,                                    185 
Trumbull,  Jonathan,  tradition 
of  Rose  of  New  England,    11 

Librarian  Otis  Library,  30 

Address  at  Hubbard  gates,    32 

Committee  to  buy  Mianto- 
nomo  monument,  33 

Uncas  Paper  Company,  42 

Uncas  Power  Company,  Hyde 

Electric   Plant,  42 

United  States,  increase  of  ter- 
ritory and  population,  15 
Facilities  for  transportation,     15 
United  States  Finishing  Com- 
pany, 40 
United  Workers  of  Norwich,     27 
Up-town  burying  ground,  ser- 
vices at,  66 


PAGE 


Ushers    at    Up-town    burying 

ground,  67 


Washington,  George  12 

Water  Supply,  21 

Ways  and  Means  Committee, 

Costello  Lippitt,  chairman,     59 

Weeks,  Governor  Frank  B., 
presents  the  President  to 
assembly  at  Chelsea  Pa- 
rade, 82 

Williams,  Capt.  Erastus,  pres- 
ident Norwich  Bleaching 
Company,  40 

Founder  of  Yantic  Woolen 
Mill,  40 

Williams,  E.  Winslow,  re- 
builds Yantic  Woolen 
Mill,  40 

Williams,  Gen.  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
liam, benefactors  of  Free 
Academy,  47 

Williams,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wins- 
low  Tracy,  receive  the 
President  at  Rockclyffe,  81 

Williams,     Winslow      Tracy, 

president  Backus  hospital,     28 
President     Yantic     Woolen 

Company,  40 

President    general    celebra- 
tion committee,  59 
Chairman  programme  com- 
mittee 57 
Chairman    Reception    Com- 
mittee,                                    60 
Presides  at  Literary  Exer- 
cises and  makes  address,    97 

Woodhull,  Elizabeth  B.,  bene- 
factor of  Otis  Library,  30 

Woodman,  R.  Huntington, 
organ  recital,  140 

Yantic  Woolen  Mill,  40 

Yerrington,  Herbert  L.,  organ 

recital,  79 

Young,  John  T.,  Boiler  Com- 
pany, 42 

Young,  William  B.,  chairman 
Nominating  Committee,  58 


»«!!,„„,, , 


°°0  104  84, 


